


HunterxHunter Oneshots

by TeiEsu



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Angst, Before the Manga begins, F/M, Humor, Lust, Multi, Nen, One-Shots, hunterxhunter - Freeform, power, thieves, thrill of the hunt - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:35:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22566406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeiEsu/pseuds/TeiEsu
Summary: Love can do strange things to people. Make them crazy. Make them stronger. Make them angry. Drive them insane. It all depends on who's experiencing it. It's a double edged sword too, and not everyone has the strength to survive it. Enter the world of my HunterxHunter Oneshots before all the adventures begin.
Relationships: Chrollo Lucilfer/Original Female Character(s), Feitan (Hunter X Hunter)/Original Female Character(s), Hisoka Morrow/Original Female Character(s), Illumi Zoldyck/Original Female Character(s), Phinks/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 31





	1. Hisoka Morow - Heart Afire - Part One - A Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Hisoka has been excited for his upcoming match against a woman named Lorelei. It's his first match on the 200th Floor of Heavens Arena and he's heard nothing but praise in this woman's power. With her winning streak of seven-to-zero, this man on the hunt for powerful opponents think he's found what he's been searching for. It's too bad she doesn't feel the same.

"For the last time, no. I'm not telling you anything about her battle tactics. She's my friend."

"And I'm your brother. You don't want to see me hurt, do you?"

The woman gave him a deadpan look. "You and I both know that you'd get off on it."

The man gave a sadistic grin. "That I cannot deny."

Hisoka Morow felt himself getting more and more excited as he and his sister moved down the hall. They were currently currently on the 200th floor of Heaven's Arena, both arriving 30 days ago. His sister had already won two of her ten matches but Hisoka had yet to sing up for his first match, until tonight, that is. Hisoka's opponent was going to be a young woman named Lorelei Kudan and she was friends with his sister.

Hisoka Morow, 27, had spiked, baby blue hair and sharp, golden eyes. Dressed in his usual, strange, white attire with the card symbols a light violet, a deck of cards currently tucked into his pocket.

His sister, Kiyoma, 24, had left her hair their natural shade of a fiery fuchsia that hung low on his back and eyes that matched her brothers.

Having been awoke by her brother not even thirty minutes ago, the woman hadn't even bothered changing from her black and white pajamas, merely throwing on a bra and dragging a comb through her hair to join Hisoka for an early lunch.

When they first arrived at Heaven's Arena, Kiyoma became fast friends with two other woman, Lorelei and another named Kyra Irena. Hisoka didn't really pay attention to his sister's friends until he had witnessed one of Lorelei's battles first hand a week ago. The woman had killed her opponent in less than a minute with nothing more than a blow to the chest. Hisoka couldn't lie; he had become interested in her. He wanted to test her strength so he had watched her, waiting until she signed up for another fight. He was surprised that she had done so as fast as she did; she was clearly confident in herself. All week Hisoka had been excited for his match against her and his sister had been trying to keep him calm. She knew how her brother was and knew how to handle him, too.

Kiyoma shot her brother a look as the two took a seat in one of the small restaurants for lunch. "You never change, Hisoka."

"Would you really want me to?" He replied with his smile. His sister seemed not to hear him as she opened her menu. He continued to smile as he did the same.

Out of everyone, only his sister was going to be able to understand him completely. The only one he trusted completely. Their bond was stronger than any other siblings that they had encountered over the years.

Things stayed silent between the two until their food arrived and Kiyoma spoke up.

"Are you still planning on taking the Hunter Exam next month?"

"But of course," Hisoka replied with a smile. "You're still coming, aren't you?"

"I can't let you go alone. God only knows what will happen if I let you out of my sight."

Hisoka's smile stayed glued to his face. He had seen the hidden message behind her words. His sister was just as bad as he was. Together they were able to keep eachother calm and under control; in public, anyway. One would think they were twins and not three years apart.

"After this is over with, what do you want to do?" Kiyoma found herself asking. "We came here to bide our time until the Hunter Exam but after that's over, where will we go next?"

Hisoka poked at his food for a moment before answering. "Why not come back here?" He offered. "We could become Floor Masters and fight all we want; until it gets boring, anyway. When it comes to that, well, we'll do what we always do."

Kiyoma accepted that answer with a nod and changed the subject back to the fight that was to take place later that night. "Try not to go too far tonight, brother. It's not often that I find both a friend and a toy in one package."

He chuckled. "That's how it is, is it? And here I thought you had gone soft on me. You just want her all to yourself."

Both sets of golden eyes rose to lock with each other.

"So what if I do?"

Hisoka's smiled deepened. "Then this just might turn into our first, serious case of sibling rivalry. Maybe we should settle it in the Arena."

The golden eyes glared at the others across the table, neither moving or blinking. Both could feel the other suppressing their blood lust and Hisoka had to admit that he was surprised. Kiyoma normally backed down when Hisoka expressed interest in another fighter; she apparently had other plans concerning this one.

"Both of you are in too far over your heads."

The voice that broke the silence belonged to a young man that was sitting at a table next to them. Well built with bright green eyes and white hair, he was dressed in a white and red robe as a black cloak hung over his chair.

"Lorelei isn't going to fall into your traps or dance to your tune. Neither of you will stand a chance against her."

"How do you know it's Lorelei we're talking about?" Kiyoma asked.

"Everyone knows who's going to be fighting Lorelei tonight. She's one of the most watched fighters in the arena. She's never lost a match and has three fights left before she can challenge a Floor Master. Well," He gave Hisoka a glance over. "After tonight she'll only need two more wins."

Hisoka blinked. "You talk as if you're sure she'll win."

"I am," The man replied, sipping from his tea. "Lorelei will be too powerful for you, mark my words."

Hisoka stared at him. "Tell me your name."

"Why?"

"So when I win tonight, I can challenge you to a match and beat you just like I will her."

The man placed money on the table and stood, gathering his cloak. "Well then, seeming as how that won't be happening, there's no reason to tell you my name now, is there?"

Both siblings watched the man walk away, just to be brought back when a third form took a seat at their table.

"I swear, the two of you just cause trouble everywhere, don't you?"

It was a woman with green hair cut into an asymmetrical style, the hair longer on the left. Her ears each held three piercings and she constantly wore a grin like the Cheshire Cat. In a pair of jean shorts and a white tank top, her eyes were a bright blue that held an entertained look to it.

"Kyra?" Kiyoma blinked, not expecting to see her friend here.

"'Sup, guys?" Kyra Irena grinned at the duo. "Having a friendly fight with other contenders already, huh?"

"Do you know him? Hisoka asked.

"That, my lovable, blue-haired psycho, was Kastro and he's one of the better fighters here in the Arena...in some opinions."

Kiyoma raised a brow. "Meaning what, exactly?"

"Meaning that he's got a lot of fans; girls, mostly, so I'd be wary of being seen around him," Kyra smiled. "I'm not saying they could take you, but I doubt that you want to get in trouble for killing people."

"And that's why we need Hunter Licenses," Hisoka grinned at his sister.

Kyra looked at the duo in bewilderment. "And just what kind of Hunters will you be? Body Hunters? Blood lust Hunters? Oh, even better, the _'Schwing'_ Hunters!"

Kiyoma's face went red as her brother just smiled. Only Kyra knew that the duo got turned on by powerful opponents, the only difference being that Kiyoma didn't have a problem hiding it while her brother couldn't exactly hide his erections.

Hisoka grinned at Kyra. "If you keep talking like that then I'm afraid I won't be able to contain myself."

"Keep it in your pants, buddy. You're cute but just not my type." The green-haired woman replied. She reached over to Kiyoma's glass and took a drink. Kiyoma wrinkled her nose at her before giving a shrug and letting it go; Kyra did it to Lorelei, too. She should be used to it by now.

"Oh?" Hisoka raised a brow. "And just what is your type?"

"I'll tell you, but only if you land a hit on Lorelei tonight."

"Back to this again, are we?" Kiyoma sighed.

"Hey, you know Lori; she's tough. I like you, Hisoka, but I'm still rooting for her."

Kiyoma watched her brother's smirk twitch. "Apparently this woman has earned quite a lot of respect. Perhaps I should keep a closer eye on her from now on."

"I don't know how much she'd like that, my blue-haired psycho, but be my guest to try. She is quite interesting, after all," Kyra's words led both the Morow siblings to believe that she knew something more about Lorelei Kudan but neither of them pressed the issue, settling in to finish their meal, talking quietly with their new companion.

As the time for the match got closer and closer Hisoka felt his excitement grow and grow. He had already taken several cold showers to try and keep calm but it didn't help. It wasn't only until his sister threatened to cut it off did he seem to gain control of himself. Of this Lorelei, he had only seen one fight so why should he be this excited? It had to do with everyone telling him that he was going to lose; that and the way that Kiyoma was acting. His sister was more picky than he was when it came to picking their...toys, and for her to stand against him as firmly as she had early and claim Lorelei for her own...that had to be the true reason. His sister only showed interest in the best; the very, very best.

 _~I'm sorry, sister,~_ The Magician grinned to himself as he heard the announcer begin the introductions. _~But I'm afraid that I might not be able to restrain myself in this one.~_

_"Hello! I'm your announcer, Cocco! Today in Heavens Arena, we have Hisoka versus Lorelei, a match that has been on everyone's waiting list! Just look at the crowd! The arena has been packed for the last two hours, the excitement just radiating off the crowd! Lorelei has a complete winning streak of seven-to-zero and has been a crowd favorite since she arrived here two years ago and worked her way to the top. We've tried countless times to get an interview with Miss Lorelei but she keeps slipping through our grasps; it's apparent that she doesn't like cameras. The only word we have ever gotten from Lorelei is her longing to challenge a Floor Master and obtain her own title. Having been on the 200th Floor for almost two years now, Lorelei is known to use all 90 of her days between her matches before coming back and dominating the ring. One has to ask just what kind of training this woman puts herself through. As for her opponent, Hisoka is a newcomer to Heavens Arena and the older brother to Kiyoma who we witnessed a spectacular knockout win against her opponent just a few nights ago. Though this is his first battle on the 200th floor, we have high hopes for him if he's anything like his sister."_

Hisoka licked his lips as he could hear the crowd getting louder and louder and took a calming breath. He stood in the darkness of the waiting room, peering out of the window. Across the ring he knew that the other waiting room was there and he could just picture his sister's friend standing there. Was she as excited as he was? He had to know that he was Kiyoma's brother so just what was going through her head at this moment? Kiyoma never told him much, despite how much he asked her. Kyra had kept her lips sealed as well while they ate and it had annoyed the older man but at the same time made him even more excited. He found himself hoping that Kastro was watching as well; he wanted him to watch him win this match.

He squeezed his left arm with his right hand, trying his hardest not to dig his nails into his skin. It was harder than he thought that it would be.

_"The first to arrive is Lorelei! With Seven battles and a total of Seven wins, can today be her eighth victory?"_

A roar of cheers erupted through the arena making Hisoka blink and drop his arms. Peering out the blind he glanced at the once empty ring now held a figure. He had been expecting the woman to wait until after he moved first. It's what he would have done if he had as many wins as she did. Apparently this woman wanted to get this fight done and over with.

 _~So be it,~_ Hisoka swore that his face was going to be sore later tonight from all the smiling he was doing today.

_"And next, with a confident stride, comes Hisoka! Can he be the first to break this woman's amazing winning streak?"_

Hisoka walked into the stone ring with that smile still on his face and faced the woman that stood there, waiting for him. He had seen Lorelei on several occasions, albeit only on a screen, so he took this chance to take her in face to face.

She appeared to be in her early twenties with long blonde hair and a pair of sea green eyes that instantly told Hisoka that this woman didn't let emotions show often on her face. The clothes that she wore were simple street clothes, a pair of black jeans and a long-sleeved, amethyst shirt with the design of a silver eye on her chest, which never would have told anyone that she was here for a battle. A pair of white and purple sneakers were on her feet and there was a black choker around her neck. Her nails were painted purple as well as black leather bracelets were placed on her wrists.

Hisoka restrained himself from licking his lips again. This was the woman that had caught his sister's attention so fiercely. Just what secrets did she hold? How strong was she really? In the matches that he had watched, this woman barely used her Nen to defeat her opponents, knocking them out merely moments into the match. Whatever training she underwent was clearly harsh and intense. After this battle he was going to have to ask her for her answer.

"KICK HIS ASS, LORI!"

Hisoka felt his lip twitch. He recognized Kyra's voice from behind him in the crowd. He fixed the smirk back to his face. "It's quite disheartening when your friends cheer for the other person, don't you agree?" The woman stared at him for a moment with a blank face.

He closed his eyes. "I'm afraid that my sister's quite upset with me right now. She wanted to fight you first but I got the luck of the draw." He opened his eyes again. "Allow me the joy of making her jealous by actually giving me a good fight, will you?"

The referee moved forward as Lorelei just stared at the taller man, her face blank and unreadable. "Winner by points or KO!" He called. "No time limit. One round!" Hisoka backed up from Lorelei and the referee but the woman just stood there. She wasn't even staring at him anymore, just fixing her gaze on the ground to her left. "Begin!"

_"This is it, folks! Who will make the first move?"_

Hisoka didn't move, waiting to see what his opponent would do first. The answer he received was not the one that he had been expecting; nor wanted.

Lorelei lifted her gaze to the referee. "I'm leaving."

Everything went silent and for the first time in a long time Hisoka's eyes opened wide in shock and disbelief.

The Referee looked stunned as well. "M-Miss Kudan, you understand that if you leave then you're forfeiting the match and Hisoka will be the winner."

"I don't care," She turned her back to the ring and began moving away.

_"I...I don't believe it! Lorelei is forfeiting the match and just walking right out of the ring, making Hisoka the winner and giving her the first lost and breaking her winning streak! What is going on? Has Hisoka frightened her off?!"_

Roars of anger and disapproval from the crowd shook the arena as Hisoka stood there in shock, watching as the woman left the ring and disappeared from sight. All this excitement he felt had disappeared at her forfeit and he found anger rising up in him instead. He had been waiting to fight this woman for nearly a week and this was what he gets?

Without another word, Hisoka took off after the blonde woman, ignoring everything else. He wasn't going to accept this. He was going to drag her back to that ring if it was the last thing he did. He wasn't going to let her get away.

The woman was fast, Hisoka would give her that, but he found her soon in a conversation with a familiar face in an empty hall.

"-you're doing?"

The voice came from the man that they had met in the small restaurant that afternoon. Kastro had confronted Lorelei in the hallway and was asking her what she had been thinking, apparently.

"You could have taken him; what's the point of forfeiting? You're losing your winning streak."

"I only need three more wins. I'll get them without a problem."

"That's not the point, Lorelei," Kastro growled. HE shook his head. "What are you doing?"

"Something important has come up tonight and I can't change them. Fighting a pointless match would be a waste of time."

"A pointless match?" Hisoka's voice was dark as he glared at the woman before him. Lorelei turned to face him, her face as blank as it had been in the ring. "What makes you think that?"

"You would bore me."

Her words, plain and simple just like her face, would forever be carved into Hisoka's mind. Never before had someone said that to him, let alone complete with confidence. They stung him, they angered him; they made his mouth water. For someone to have the self-assurance to say that directly to his face proved they truly believed it. Hisoka didn't know whether to be mad, offended, or in love.

"This is a foolish idea, Kudan," Kastro told the woman. "You could still have a chance to go back out there and fight. You-"

"I'm leaving."

For the second time that night, Lorelei moved away from a battle and headed towards the elevator without another word.

Hisoka went to move after her but Kastro tossed an arm out, blocking him. He glared at him but at the look of anger on Kastro's own face as he watched after the same woman made him halt. "I don't accept this," The Magician called after her.

_"You would bore me."_

The four words that Lorelei Kudan said to him, her first four words, her only words to him, would forever haunt him.

As he watched her form leave the hall, her hair swaying back and forth, she turned in the elevator and stared out at him, locking eyes with him. As the door shut, Hisoka watched as she just stared at him, her face blank as ever until the doors blocked her from view. He felt his excitement rise up again. This woman...

"What are you doing, Kudan?" A sigh came from his left.

"You..." His eyes slid over to the man that still stood in the hall with him. "I want to fight you."

"Me?" Kastro raised his brows.

"Yes. You said you would fight me if I won against her. I won by default but a win is still a win. I've been wanting a fight all night; let's sign up for it tomorrow. I want one; I need one."  
Kastro frowned at the elevator again. "I suppose...if I were to beat you..."

_~If I show that woman that I won't be a 'bore', as she so happily put it, then she'll want to actually fight me this time!~_

Hisoka couldn't explain why being rejected by this woman angered him so much but he did know that he wasn't going to stop until he got an actual, real match from Lorelei Kudan. No one could mock him like that; no one!

"The fight most likely won't be tomorrow but it'll happen in the next few days. Until then..."

Kastro left the hall too, leaving Hisoka to himself. Now alone, Hisoka released his aura, anger finally embracing him completely. Whoever was left in the hall and felt it was smart to leave and get away from the danger. He felt publicly humiliated. It was all he could do not to rush after that woman and kill her. He felt his body shake. She hadn't even stood in the ring with him even a minute before leaving; did she really think him that weak? Did Kiyoma or Kyra have something to do with this?

Hisoka didn't have an answer, another first for him, but he did know that he wasn't going to let this woman get away with it. No, Lorelei was not going to get away with doing this to him; he wouldn't allow it. She may be his sister's friend but there was no way he was going to let this go. Lorelei may not want to fight him yet be he would do all that he could to find a way to get her to do just that; and that was a promise.


	2. Chrollo Lucilfer - Partners in Crime - Part One - An Invitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiyoma feels responsible for her brother not passing the Hunter Exam and decides to drown her guilt in alcohol. She also wants to go off on her own but never before has she and her brother ever been apart from one another so the decision to actually move is a hard one. But a chance meeting at the bar opens up to her an invitation from a stranger that seems almost too perfect to be true.

"I swear, you and Lorelei are exactly the same! It's infuriating!"

"And yet you still choose to be around us."

"That's because you're the only ones that can understand me."

"What about Rae?"

"Let me rephrase that; only adults and before you say anything, HE doesn't count either."

Kiyoma laughed at the woman that sat beside her at the bar. The 24-year-old woman held long, fuchsia colored hair pinned up in a bun and bright golden eyes. In a shoulder less, black corset and leather plants and boots, she wore leather strips up and down her arms and another on her neck.

Beside her sat Kyra, her green hair was cut into an asymmetrical style, the hair longer on the left. Her ears each held three piercings and she constantly wore a grin like the Cheshire Cat. In a pair of black heels, the woman had worn a tight, red dress as the duo came to the club to celebrate.

The duo, just the day before, had passed the Hunter Exam, though it seemed that only Kyra was happy about it. The two had hurried back to Heavens Arena to celebrate with their friend, Lorelei Kudan, but the other woman woman had a match that night; she was challenging a Floor Master. Kiyoma had wanted to attend but the tickets were all sold out, leaving her at Kyra's greedy clutches and dragged off to the Club. The music was loud and everyone looked like they were having fun; all but Kiyoma, anyway.

"It's not your fault," Kyra told her, slamming her glass down on the counter. "The moron knew exactly what he was doing. He should have known better."

"I still feel responsible though. It's my fault."

'You didn't make that asshole kiss you, Kiyoma. If your brother hadn't attacked him then I would have!"

"He didn't just attack him, Kyra, he tried to kill him! If Togari hadn't been an Examiner he would have died!"

"He should have. By the way, where IS your brother? You don't think he went off to try and finish the job, do you?"

Kiyoma gave a sigh. "Hisoka's probably waiting to tease Lorelei again. I think he was more excited by her match then she was."

Kiyoma was the younger sister of Hisoka Morow by three years. Her brother had taken the Hunter Exam with the two of them but during the fourth phase...an examiner named Togari had decided to...pursue Kiyoma in a flirtatious manner and even kissed her. It resulted in Hisoka attacking the said man and he was, ultimately, disqualified from the exam. Hisoka had merely laughed it off, claiming that he would just pass next year, but Kiyoma still felt guilty. That was the main reason that she wasn't particularly enjoying herself at the moment.

"Well, while you're busy pouting, I'm actually going to enjoy myself tonight!"

Kiyoma watched as the other woman walked off to the dance floor. She couldn't fight the smirk on her face.

She, Kyra, and Lorelei had been friends for the last two years, the three women barely separated from the others. Lorelei was a quiet one while Kyra liked to hear herself talk. Kiyoma was the middle man between them, completing quite the strange trio; until Hisoka decided to join them and as of late he enjoyed doing so. Kiyoma had a feeling that it was because her older brother knew that Lorelei didn't like him.

Ever since Lorelei had refused to fight her older brother in a match in Heavens Arena, Hisoka had been following the said woman around like a damn dog, teasing her and annoying her to no ends. Lorelei had yet to break but Hisoka could be very persistent. She had lasted a month, though, and Kiyoma had to admit that she was impressed that the other woman hadn't attacked her brother yet.

Now that she was at the bar alone again, Kiyoma proceeded to empty her glass and waved for another. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, pounding down drink after drink, her mind lost in the guilt as she stared at her glass in gloom. Would Hisoka have passed the Exam if she hadn't of been there?

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself."

At the voice, Kiyoma jumped, unknowing of when someone had taken a seat beside her and how long they had been there. Glancing at him, she felt her breath catch.

The man, in his twenties, was a little taller than she was with dark hair that hung around his face and grey eyes. Dressed in a pair of black slacks and a white, button down shirt, a black headband sat on his forehead as a pair of green orbs hung from his ears. She didn't know why but this man had a calming feel about him.

She turned back to the drink in her hands. "Yeah, well..."

The new man stared at her in silence as his own drink was brought to him, his eyes seeming to be searching for something as he stared at her.

"Whenever I find myself depressed, I like to star at the stars."

She glanced at him again. "Star gazing?"

He chuckled with a smile as he took a drink, finally pulling his eyes away from her. "An odd hobby for a man, I know."

She tried not to roll her eyes. "It's a better hobby than my brother's."

Then again, considering what Hisoka's hobbies were, anything else would have been better; her own hobbies as well.

He closed his eyes with another smile. "Your brother must be quite the character then."

'You have no idea."

"Ah, there's a smile," The man grinned happily. Kiyoma blinked, not even realizing that her frown had disappeared. "You're a lot prettier when you smile." And now she was blushing; she'd never heard that one before. She downed her drink again before waving for another one, aware that the man was continuing to stare with that smile of his. Togari had done this during the exam but instead of pissing her off like the Examiner had this one made her...nervous.

"You don't seem the shy type, either," The man continued.

"It's the drinks," Kiyoma replied, taking another sip. "After so many you lose your touch."

"Then perhaps now would be the best time to call it quits," The man, Mr. Green as she was now going to call him due to the orbs hanging from his ears, told her.

"I'm a big girl," She retorted. "I can make my own choices."

"If that's how you feel, then allow me to join you. I too feel like letting myself go."

She stared at the glass in her hands again. "I'm not letting go, I'm just..."

"Letting go." He teased.

She glared at him. "Alright, smart-ass," She was fighting a grin as they stared at the other. "Why are you here?"

"Meeting with an old friend, that's all," Was his answer. "They're busy tonight though so I'm afraid that it'll have to wait until tomorrow. That, and..."

She cocked a brow. "And?"

He lifted a finger to his lips. "That's a secret."

Kiyoma didn't try and hide her laugh. Whatever this guy had up his sleeve was working. She felt better already. Then again, perhaps it wasn't this strange man at all; maybe she just needed someone to talk to.

"Do you live around here?" Mr. Green changed the subject nearly an hour later away from their small talk. They had been amusing themselves by making fun of a few people out there on the dance floor.

"I have my own room at the Heavens Arena so...I guess that kind of counts as a home, right?" She replied.

"Yes it does. A home is a place that you find yourself returning to. It can be a building or even a person; it's all your own choice."

"Then I guess my home would be with my brother then, wouldn't it?" She smiled. "Without him I wouldn't even be here right now."

"Is that right? He must mean a lot to you. Is that why you're feeling so down? Has something happened between you and your brother?"

Her hands froze. This man saw right through her, didn't he? It wasn't often that this happened. In fact, it never had before. She was like an open book before him and she didn't know if she liked that. But at the same time this man held no air of ill will about him or ulterior motive. He just seemed to be a sweet, kind man.

Mr. Green took her silence as her answer and merely smiled. "Would you like to join me on the roof? The stars are especially bright tonight; it's quite a sight to behold."

Kiyoma studied him for a minute, searching for some hidden motive but she found nothing. His grey eyes were nothing but pure. "Why not? I can't remember the last time I just...looked at the sky." That and she was enjoying herself. She felt comfortable around this man. He had a warm feeling about him, a calming one.

Besides, if he tried anything, Kiyoma was confident that she could take him. She was almost as strong as her brother and Hisoka was the strongest fighter she knew.

Mr. Green had been here before because he knew exactly where to go without pausing once. He led her up three flights of stairs before opening the door and allowing her to exit first.

The night air was cool and breezy, much better than the hot, stuffy air of the club below them. The usic still reached her ears but nowhere near as loud as it have been while inside. The flashing lights were all gone now too, making her sigh in relief.

The Heavens Arena was the tallest building in the city, the lights one all floor shining brightly, signaling that matches were still taking place inside. She found herself wondering whether or not Lorelei had won her match. The woman was strong, yes, but this time her opponent was a Floor Master. This was a person that had gone through the entire Arena just like she had and won the title of the strongest. She had really wanted to see the match in person. She was sure that her brother was glued to the screen in his room, watching every move the woman that had rejected him made. She could have joined him but to have both of them there, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't attack eachother out of blood lust if the match was crazy.

That and Kiyoma's guilt.

"Just look at them," Mr. Green's voice dragged Kiyoma from her thoughts. He had moved up beside her and was gazing across the sky. "Forget who you are, where you are, what you were doing, and just...watch."

Kiyoma closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, trying to do as he asked her before returning her gaze to the sky above them. She tried to think of nothing and was still for about thirty seconds before turning back to the man.

"What exactly am I doing?"

Mr. Green laughed and moved closer to her. "Let me show you." The warmth radiating off of the skin only inches from her own gave Kiyoma goosebumps as she tried to listen to him as he spoke, his right hand raised as he pointed out constellations and other things out in the sky to her.

"This constellation is Caleum, or the Chisel. In the stories, it is said that the Chisel was held by God when he carved man from stone and it sits in the stars to serve as a reminder of our creation." He moved his hands to the left. "And this is the Centaurus, said to be a creature that once walked the lands before completely vanishing without a trace nearly 300 years ago."

Kiyoma felt that this was basically an astrology lesson but let the man talk. It was actually enjoyable. She didn't know how long she stood there, just listening to his clam voice as he told her stories of the stars. 

Finally she turned to look at him with a large smile on her face.

"I didn't realize that there were so many stories behind the stars. There's so many of them."

"Yes there are," Mr. Green smiled. "I'm afraid that I'll never be able to remember them all, though. It seems like a shame almost."

"It really does," Kiyoma agreed, turning back to the sky. "I've never noticed it before but the night sky can be so beautiful."

"So are your eyes," The man replied, staring at her.

She raised her brows and looked back at him. He was much to close for comfort, that smile on his face. "What did you say?"

"Your eyes," He whispered. "They're a beautiful shade." His lips grazed her ear as he leaned closer. "It makes me want to steal them."

She didn't know if it was his words or the fact that his lips connected with her skin, hell it could have been both, but it shot a tingling feeling down her spine. When Togari had touched her and spoken to her like that she hadn't enjoyed it like she had this. The funny feeling in her stomach was the same feeling that she got when she fought. It meant that-

Mr. Green took a step back and held a hand out to her. "Would you care to dance?"

Kiyoma could only blink, lost in silence for a moment. A man had never asked her to dance before; then again that might be her brother's fault. The thought of that made her laugh.

"Of course," She placed her hand in his; it was so warm. "I do have to warn you that I'm not much of a dancer."

"Don't fear, just let me lead you," He placed his other hand on her hip, pulling her close enough to where their bodies were barely an inch apart; she could feel the heat radiating off of his body again as well as her own cheeks. Sliding her other hand up to his shoulder she couldn't help but feel nervous as Mr. Green began to lead her across the roof of the night club in a waltz. She stumbled a lot at first but Mr. Green just continued to smile at her, ignoring the fact that she was stepping on his toes. She found herself getting the hang of it and began to smile, laughing as they moved.

"You know, this isn't normally the type of music you waltz to."

The man smiled happily. "You can waltz to anything if you enjoy it enough. Besides, classical dancing is more of my forte, not this...dancing they do now."

"Yes, bumping and grinding isn't my taste, either. I'll leave that for Kyra. I enjoy this much more; I always like watching old movies where they danced like this." Kiyoma replied.

"It gladdens me to see that there's some classy ladies left in this world. They're hard to come by."

"I don't normally dance at all. You're the first one to acquire this pleasure so treasure it while you can."

"I'll do just that," He assured her. She didn't keep time for how long they danced but she found herself a bit disappointed when he finally brought them to a stop. "Though nothing would please me more than to continue spending time with you, I'm afraid that I must take my leave. I have something important to take care of in the morning so I must get ready."

"That's a shame. I was enjoying myself, too."

He leaned down and placed a kiss on the back of her hand. "Then perhaps we'll just have to continue with this another time."

"I look forward to it."

Kiyoma stayed still and turned to watch as the man left her there on the roof of the night club, her heart pounding in her ears.

_~You'll never take us alive_   
_We swore that death will do us part_   
_They'll call our crimes a work of art~_

"Are you sure you're allowed to bring us with you?"

"I'm a Floor Master now; I can do anything that I want."

"Congrats on the win, by the way."

'Hmm."

Kiyoma and Kyra, both sporting horrid headaches from all their drinking last night, had been awoken barely an hour ago by their friend, Lorelei.

Lorelei Kudan was a woman in her early twenties with long blonde hair and a pair of sea green eyes that instantly told anyone that looked at them that emotions didn't show often on her face. Dressed in simple street clothes, a paid of jeans with a silver shirt with an eye design sitting on the chest, her nails were painted purple with matching sneakers and a black choker on her throat as well as leather bracelets on her wrists.

This was the woman that had publicly humiliated her older brother during their match about a month ago, merely telling Hisoka that he would bore her in their battle and refused to waste her time on him. Ever since Hisoka had been, in no short meaning of the word, obsessed with her.

In fact, both of the Morow siblings were, Kiyoma just hid it better.

Lorelei's explanation concerning their wake up call was an invitation to a Floor Master Battle that morning. Though this match was sold out much like hers had been the night before, Lorelei claimed that since she was a Floor Master now herself that she had special seats reserved for her and since they would be with her they would be allowed to use them.

"Being a Floor Master here basically means that you can do anything you want, really," Kyra grinned. "Maybe I should stop playing for just money and become one. What do you think?"

"You wouldn't last," Lorelei replied coldly. "You would win and then forget about the 90 Day Limit and lose your Floor."

Kiyoma smirked. "She's got a point."

'Yeah, you're probably right."

"Well, well, if it isn't my three favorite ladies."

Lifting her eyes, Kiyoma came to a pause at the figure leaning against the wall ahead of them, a coy smile on his face as if he were about to relish in their reactions. Tall and 27, Hisoka Morow had spiked, baby blue hair and sharp, golden eyes that matched his sister's. Dressed in his usual, strange white attire with the card symbols a light violet, Kiyoma was sure that his cards were in his pocket.

"And here's the final member of this happy, fucked up family," Kyra smiled at the tall man that had decided to step out in front of them. "How's it _'schwinging'_ , Hisoka?" She wiggled her eyebrows at the older man.

Kiyoma slapped a hand to her face. "Can we not?"

"I don't think it can be helped, Kiyoma. His little toy's here, after all."

Lorelei shot the other woman a look. "I'm not his toy."

"Yet." Hisoka grinned, closing his left eye.

Lorelei gave a silent huff as Kiyoma restrained a smile. "What are you doing here, Hisoka?"

"I was waiting for Miss Kudan, of course," Hisoka replied, straightening up from the wall. "I watched your match last night. I wanted to congratulate you on your win last night but I'm afraid that when I went to visit you in your new home I received no answer. I must have caught you after you were asleep or while you were out so I decided to wait for you here."

"How did you know that we would be coming here?" Kyra raised a brow.

"Just a feeling I had," Was his reply.

Kiyoma gave a frown. Hisoka, ever since Lorelei had walked away from their match, had made a habit of showing up at Lorelei's room and loved to tease her. He had only ever gotten in her room once and had security called on him for entering a woman's room uninvited. Most of the time the Heavens Arena would let the fighters deal with this on their own but the men that were employed there did not condone to a man entering a woman's room. It was only after Hisoka was threatened to be removed from the Arena completely that he stopped trying to get into her room and just waited for her out in the hall to tease her.

"So tell me, Miss Kudan, how does it feel to be a Floor Master now?" Hisoka smiled at her. "Will you give me the grand tour this afternoon?"

Lorelei's reply was one that none of them had been expecting.

"Sorry, but only Hunter Graduates can step foot on my Floor."

Kyra's laughter rang loudly as Hisoka held a mixed look of anger and shock, leaving Kiyoma to look at Kyra in horror.

"You told her!?"

"It's not like you can exactly hide it," The green-haired woman tried to catch her breath as she unscrewed the top to her water bottle. "Hisoka's the only guy I know that would try and kill an Examiner. The story's already spread like wildfire."

"You don't know that yet!"

"Yeah, I kind of do. Heard it all on the dance floor last night. You, my tall, freaky friend, are now known as a psychopath; if people didn't already know that. I swear, I think it's your hair that makes you stand out the most."

"What wrong with my hair?" Hisoka raised a hand and touched his spikes.

Kyra gave him a look. "You're the only person I know with that color. Seriously, couldn't you have picked something more...manly?"

He blinked at her, a frown on his face. "Manly?"

"Yeah. What kind of man dyes his hair periwinkle blue?" Kyra asked.

"A twat." Lorelei's answer made Kyra's drink come spewing out her nose and Kiyoma laughed as her brother glared at the cold woman.

Kiyoma took a step forward, placing herself between her brother and her friend. "All right, let's hurry up. If we take any more time the battle will start without us."

"Battle?" Hisoka's eyebrows rose in interest. "You mean the Floor Master Match?"

"That's right," Kyra smiled. "It's not often that two Floor Master Battles happen so close together. Lorelei here got us some special seats this time so we don't miss it like we did hers last night."

"Is that so? You don't mind if I join you, do you?" the man asked. "Watching a match like this up close is much more thrilling than on the screen, I'm sure."

"That's not up to us," Kyra grinned, looking at Lorelei.

The woman in question moved past them all and continued to move down the hall and entered a room to the left.

"Was that a yes?" Kiyoma asked.

Hisoka grinned and moved after the blonde woman. "It wasn't a no."

Kiyoma stared after her brother for a moment, a frown on her face. She wanted Lorelei but her brother was just as interested as she was. Was this going to send the two of them into a fight? It would be the first time. Kiyoma normally backed off when her brother saw interest in the same toy but this time...Lorelei Kudan was just too delectable to give up.

Entering the room, Kiyoma found them inside a box sitting in the arena, it being barely 100 feet away from the ring.

"Holy crap!" Kyra cried. "VIP seats rock!"

"Oh my," Even Hisoka sounded impressed. "And we get the seats all to ourselves?"

"I grabbed them early this morning and told security to refuse anyone else entry. I had another Floor Master try to get in earlier but I put a stop to that fast"

"Savage, Kudan," Kyra grinned. "I love it."

"Hmm."

Kiyoma shook her head at the other woman before taking a seat beside her. She, Lorelei, and Kyra sat in the front seats and Hisoka decided to take the chair directly behind Lorelei and leaned on the back of her chair, placing his head nearly on her shoulder.

"So," The man began. Kiyoma could feel Lorelei tense beside her as her brother's breath hit her neck. "Who's in the match?"

"Some guy named-"

"It doesn't matter," Lorelei cut Kyra off. "He's been placed against Chrollo. He's as good as dead."

"Oh?" Hisoka's voice was full of amusement and interest. "You're acquainted with this Floor Master?"

"What, did they throw you a party for winning last night?" Kyra asked.

"Don't be dumb," The woman closed her eyes. "Chrollo is one of, if not THE, strongest Floor Master here in the Arena. He is who I had been hoping to fight last night; unfortunately I was stuck with some fool."

"Is that why you were so agitated last night?" Hisoka asked her.

"What makes you think I was agitated?"

"My dear, it was written all over your face; and your body. This Chrollo...he must be powerful to catch your attention."

Kiyoma glanced at her brother. She had heard the tip of interest in his words, as well as annoyance. The annoyance being that Lorelei thought that Chrollo wouldn't 'bore her' in a battle.

"Powerful indeed," Lorelei let a grin spread across her face. "It makes me wonder who would win in a battle between Chrollo and Jed. Shura, even."

"Jed?" Kyra repeated. "Shura? Are they other Floor Masters?"

Lorelei shook her head. "Just...old friends." There was a grin that spread across her face that made Kiyoma's eyes widen. It...it mimicked Hisoka's face when he was thinking about someone he wanted to fight. She could just imagine her tongue coming out to lick her lips like his did, too

"I wasn't aware that you had other friends," Kyra teased. "Considering your attitude."

"And yet, for some reason, you three continue to endure it and follow me everywhere."

"Oh, you love us and you know it. We're one, happy, fucked up family." Kyra repeated, tossing an arm around the other woman's shoulders; she would have hit Hisoka in the face had he not leaned back in his seat in time. "Speaking of fucked up people, there's this asshole who keeps showing up around my jobs; likes killing people with needles. Well, his last...victim was one I set my sights on and, well, things kinda got ugly. You got any tips on taking care of this weirdo?"

Lorelei frowned, thinking. "Needles?"

"Yeah; he's a manipulator. A real weirdo. He'd be cute if his eyes weren't so..."

"Lifeless?" Lorelei offered.

Kyra raised her brows. "You know who I'm talking about?"

The older woman gave a sigh. "I have a vague idea."

As the two women carried on their conversation, Lorelei found herself lost in thought. If this Chrollo guy was someone that Lorelei wanted to fight then she had a good idea what was already going through Hisoka's head. He was, without a doubt, already thinking about challenging this poor bastard to a fight to prove to Lorelei that he wouldn't bore her in a fight of their own. Kiyoma felt bad for him. She had no idea in her mind that Hisoka was going to be willing to do anything possible to get Lorelei to actually fight him.

Should she be doing the same? She wanted to fight the silent woman just as much as her brother did but she had yet to even attempt to try to get her into an agreement for a fight. Until now she had been satisfied in just watching Lorelei belittle her brother but now she found herself wanting more.

"I need to get out of here." She sighed to herself.

"What are you talking about?" Kyra's voice made Kiyoma realize that she had spoken aloud. "They just started!"

Kiyoma blinked and raised her head to see two figures in the ring, already fighting. She hadn't realized how long, and just how deep, she had been thinking. She had missed the opening announcements and the roar of the crowd.

"Which one is which?" she asked, her eyes trying to keep up with the speed of the fighters.

"Chrollo's the one with the black hair." Lorelei answered.

Ignoring the blond fighter now, Kiyoma took in the other fighter and her jaw dropped.

Chrollo was a tall man, in his twenties, with black hair combed back and dressed in a pair of black pants and a white, long-sleeved shirt. Everyone's attention was most likely drawn to the strange tattoo of a cross in the middle of his forehead but it was something else that really caught Lorelei's attention.

It was a pair of green orbs hanging from Chrollo's ears.

A pair of familiar green orbs.

Those were the earrings that the man she had spoken with the night before had been wearing.

Those were Mr. Green's earrings.

Chrollo was Mr. Green.

She had been dancing with a Floor Master last night.

That feeling in the bottom of her stomach began again. Normally she got this feeling with excited about fighting or partaking in a fight herself but this time it had nothing to do with fighting at all. It was all just because of the man in the ring.

And it only seemed to get worse the more she watched him.

"Are you alright?"

Lorelei's voice made Kiyoma's head turn to see that the other woman was staring at her rather than the fight.

"I-I'm fine; why?"

"You're entire face is red." She replied.

Kiyoma lifted a hand to her cheek and frowned; her skin was on fire. What-

"And the winner is Chrollo!"

The announcement shook the arena as cheers erupted.

"Dammit! That was way too short!" Kyra growled. "I swear, these Floor Master challengers better up their game. This is getting sad."

Kiyoma blinked. The match was already over? It had been so fast. She didn't ever get to see what happened. She would have to look it up on the TV later tonight and get a better look. Maybe then she wouldn't be so distracted with other things.

"Impressive," Hisoka mused from behind them. "I can see why you're interested in him. Say, if I were to beat him then would you finally accept a match from me?"

If Lorelei was drinking something, it would have been spat back out. She turned her head and looked back at the man. "No, but I would love to watch your face get slammed into the ground."

Hisoka leaned closer to her, that smile on his face; dangerously close but he knew that Lorelei wouldn't move and neither would he. "I'm sure you would have no problem doing so yourself so why not fight me? I'm sure both of us could get something...productive out of it. Unless it's a different kind of fighting that you're after."

"Good god, why don't the two of you get a room and do it already?" Kyra demanded.

"It would be a waste," Lorelei gave Hisoka a smirk before she turned to face the ring again. "That, too, would bore me."

Kyra could feel Hisoka's anger, and lust, rise, and she stared at Lorelei with hearts in her eyes. "Why can't you be a guy?"

Kiyoma gave a sigh and turned back to the ring. Chrollo's exit was near to where they were sitting and she found herself growing embarrassed as he walked this way. She prayed that he didn't look over here, not wanting her to see him for some reason, but fate seemed to have different plans for her.

Chrollo looked over and a look of surprise passed over his face before it faded into a smile as he paused in his steps. His grey eyes locked with hers for a brief moment and Kiyoma thought that her heart was going to stop when he gave a short bow, his left hand crossed over his chest, before straightening up again and leaving the ring.

"What the hell was that about?" Kyra asked in confusion.

"Does it matter?" Lorelei replied, eyes closed. "The next match will start soon. It's-"

"I have something to take care of," Kiyoma stood, cutting her friend off. "I'll join up with you guys later, alright?"

Kiyoma didn't even wait for a reply before leaving the seats, her mind running so wild that she didn't even notice the interested look Hisoka was giving her.

She didn't know if this was a good idea, she didn't even know if he'd be there, but about an hour later she found herself going up the steps to the nightclub's roof. She had to stop and calm herself before entering the building; she was surprised to find that the door was unlocked, as if waiting on her. Her hand froze on the knob to the outer door. Would he be there? And if he was then what would she say? Why did she come here? What was the point of it all? Some many questions ran through her head and at the very end of them stood the man that she had danced with last night.

She took a breath and stepped out onto the roof.

"I knew you'd come here."

Kiyoma tried to fight her smile but failed as Mr. Green turned and greeted her. It took her a moment to find her voice as relief spread through her chest. "It was hard not to. You knew the moment I saw you that I would try to find you again."

"So I left that much of an impression, did I?" He closed his eyes for a moment. "It gladdens my heart to see that you're happier now than you were last night." His eyes opened again. "You had some time to sort out your feelings?"

"Sort of," She answered. "I still feel guilty and I'm sure that since I'm around my brother often that I'll continue to feel it. I've decided on...I'm thinking about leaving Hisoka here at the Arena for a while and doing something on my own. It's a big leap; the two of us have been together since we were children. Being without him...it's kind of scary." She gave a face and scratched the back of her head. "I must sound pitiful."

"Not at all." He replied. "We all face moments like this. You're young; you'll have them the rest of your life."

"Young? Just how old are you?"

"25." He answered calmly.

"You're only a year older than me!" She pointed a finger at him.

He looked genuinely surprised. "Really? That's surprising."

"Just how old did you think I was?"

"Younger."

"So you, a grown man, invited someone you took for a teenager, out on the roof to dance? What are you, a pedophile?"

He shot her a look. "If I thought you were a teenager then I would have had you removed from the bar for drinking."

She bit her tongue. "Touché'."

"Let me properly introduce myself, seeming as how names went unused last night," He raised his left hand again and placed it on his chest. "Chrollo Lucilfer."

She mimicked his movements, not sure what else to do. "Kiyoma Morow."

"The name fits you." Chrollo was silent for a moment before opening his mouth again. "If you're going to leave, why not come with me?"

She blinked. "Pardon?"

"I only came to the Arena for my battle. I have business I have to attend to over in Swaldani City," He told her. "If you're going to go off somewhere without an idea, why not come with me?"

She studied him for a moment. "And what do you want out of it?"

"Nothing at all, but the company of a beautiful woman while on my journey," His smile was so bright; so warm and welcoming. "But if you would be uncomfortable-"

"That's not it!" The words were out of her mouth before she could think. She found herself wanting to trust him, to believe that he just, genuinely, liked her. She remembered the last time she had trusted someone outside of her brother, remembered Moritonio and the Circus, but for some reason she wanted to trust him.

She wanted to go with him.

"You can think it over," Chrollo turned from her, gazing back out over the sky. "I leave tomorrow so consider it." With her silence, Chrollo felt his grin widen like he had just won a grand prize at a tournament.

Things were silent for a while and Chrollo was almost positive that the woman had left him alone on the roof until she spoke up again.

"Before we...I...just tell me one thing."

Chrollo turned, changing his smile back to a normal, calm one. "And what is that?"

Kiyoma knew that she had to take this seriously but she just couldn't help herself a a teasing grin spread across her lips. "What the hell possessed you to put that tattoo on your forehead?"


	3. Illumi Zoldyck - Tag - Part One - Dance Interrupted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking up another personal mission, Kyra hoped that things would go smoothly but luck was not on her side when a certain assassin pops up during the events; again. She finds herself running into the eldest Zoldyck son in almost every mission she takes, whether or not in the same city. Asking for some advice on how to deal with him, Kyra had turned to her friend Lorelei and took her advice on how to handle the young man. Perhaps this is the first advice she SHOULDN'T have taken.

"It's just a bit longer, Rae, I promise. I'll be back to pick you up tomorrow."

"You always say that. When will I be able to help you on your missions?"

"You do help me, Rae, more than you think. Gathering information-"

"Is step one of being a professional thief, yeah, yeah, I know. I'll see you when you get back."

Kyra Irena gave a sigh as she hung up her phone. In order to complete her mission tonight, she had left her sister with a friend for the night. An old acquaintance, Kina Shanu, owed her a favor. She hadn't planned on using it for babysitting but she had been in a bind. This might have been her last chance to get what she wanted and so she had to take it.

Thank God that Rae was such a sweet kid with the mind of an adult.

Kina hated kids.

Raelynn wasn't really her sister. She was actually an eleven-year-old child that she had found half dead in the wasteland that is Meteor City about two years ago. After saving her life, Rae had attached herself to Kyra and wouldn't let go. At first it had been annoying but she had grown fond of the child.

Kyra was surprised with herself. She had been friends with Lorelei for almost five years now; it was a cute little ying-yang thing they had going. Lorelei was so quiet and angry all the time while Kyra was talkative and happy. She was surprised that Lorelei hadn't tried to kill her yet but she found out quickly that the Kudan woman had another side; one that was rarely shown to anyone. Kyra, herself, had only seen Lorelei's...'normal' side twice before. It was a rather cute event to witness. Kyra had told the other woman on several occasions to let it out more but she was ignored.

And then there was Kiyoma. Younger sister to that...beast, Hisoka, Kiyoma was just like her brother in lusting after strong opponents. Kyra couldn't lie that the thought of...entertaining Hisoka both in the ring and outside of it wasn't mouthwatering, but it seemed that the Magician AND his sister were more interested in Lorelei than anything else. Then again, it WAS Lorelei. All three of them wanted to know more about her; and they weren't the only ones, either...

Shoving her phone back in the small bag that hung on her shoulder, Kyra took a breath of the night air before turning back to the door that led back into the dance hall. This stupid party, dinner and dancing, was for the Councilmen that ran Yorknew City and it was one of those bastards that had what she wanted; what she needed. She was able to sneak in under a false name, child's play, really, and was now just waiting for the perfect moment to pounce and-

The moment she entered the room again all thoughts were yanked from her mind as a man grabbed her tightly and whisked her off onto the dance floor. No announcement, no offer, he just firmly grabbed her and began to dance. She was about to beat the hell out of him when she recognized his face. Instead she just frowned with a glare.

"You," Kyra tried her hardest not to rip herself from the young man's arms and continued to let him lead her around the dance floor.

"I seem to be running into you at my job sites often, as of late."

"More likely that you keep showing up at mine, Zoldyck," She hissed, keeping her voice down. "What is this, the third time now? Do I interest you that much?"

The man blinked. "You know who I am? But how? My disguise is impeccable."

"So you think, but everyone has a flaw somewhere, needle-boy." She looked up at him. "Yours are your eyes."

The man stared at her, no expression on his face. His eyes were like a pair of endless voids; it made her want to shiver.

Kyra sighed. "Why are you here?" She paused. "Never mind, that's a dumb question. WHO are you here for?"

"Councilman Joquard-"

Kyra gave a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

"-And Councilman Reynolds."

"Dammit!" She glared at him. "At least let me get what I want out of Reynolds before you kill him like you did last time!"

The assassin tilted his head. "And just what is it that you want?"

She continued to glare. "That's my business, not yours. Just let me get my stuff first and then he's all yours."

"I'm afraid I may not be patient enough."

"Patient enough, huh?" She began to grind her teeth. "You're a Zoldyck, right?" Kyra asked. The man didn't move. "Get in my way and I'll have to tell Kudan that her family's annoying me."

Things fell silent between the two and Kyra thought that he was going to let her go about her way but his grip stayed firm on her as they continued to dance, just as his eyes did. He was studying her and she felt her cheeks grow warm. She felt...awkward being stared at like this.

"Your eyes," She broke the silence after a few moments as he continued to make her dance. "Why do they look like that?"

He was silent for a moment. No one had ever asked him that before. Outside of family and work, no one had engaged him in conversation.

"I was born with them like this. Mother's are the same but she hides them."

"They're weird, I'll admit that, but hiding them because of that? If she's an assassin then she should be hiding for better reasons, you know?"

"How do you know Kudan?"

"Lorelei?" Kyra let her grin spread at his attempt to change the subject. "Why? Interested?"

The man blinked. "Interested? In what?"

She sighed. "Lorelei was right when she told me that you were clueless," She closed her eyes for a moment. "It's Illumi, right? Your first name? You might want to forget all about Lorelei for now. There's this guy that interested in her, his sister too, and I can only imagine what would happen if you two were to fight. No, scratch that, I DON'T want to know what will happen. It'll be like an apocalypse or something!"

He frowned. "Lorelei is...I am not interested in Kudan like that."

"Oh? Is it me, then?" She leaned closer, pressing her body against his. He stumbled a bit but regained his composure, continuing to dance. "You do keep popping up around me often. It's like you're a stalker. I can't lie and say the sight of you doesn't make my heart flutter, though." She removed her hand from his and began to tiptoe her fingers up his chest.

"What are you doing?"

Kyra sighed and dropped her hand. "You're no fun. At least play along, jerk." The duo had come to a stop on the dance floor, nearly right back at the window they had started at. "Try to entertain me, at least."

"Why should I do that?"

"Don't you know one of the simplest rules of the world, needle-boy?" She had to stand on her tiptoes to place her mouth next to his ear. "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."

Illumi opened his mouth to reply to her when his eyes widened and he jumped back. That woman...her hands...she had just...on several occasions he had to resort to sexual deeds to finish a mission but never had he been groped before; and in a room full of people!

Kyra's laughter reached his ears and he glared at her from where he now stood as the woman had wasted no time in joining another set of people and their conversation. Here she had just copped a feel on him and she was grinning and laughing like it was the most natural thing in the world!

 _~This woman...~_ Illumi's eyes narrowed further. _~She could turn out to be a problem in the future~_

But instead of reaching for his needles like he should, he found himself just watching her; studying her. He had encountered her on four of his missions already, this one making the fifth and every time he found himself staring at her. It was...strange.

Her green hair, usually left wild, was smoothed back tonight and contrasted well with the tight, red dress that she had worn for the party. There was no jewelry on her, save for the gold in her ears, and a small bag on her shoulder. She had worn heels with the dress too but was still shorter than him.

Illumi had never seen her in a dress before and decided that she should wear them more.

He couldn't lie, these meetings of theirs had turned into a little game to him; sort of like tag. He found himself searching for her on every mission that he went on and became extremely irritable when she wasn't there. Even his mother had commented on something being...different about him. But why would this woman effect him? It didn't make any sense, unless...

 _~No. No. No. No. No!~_ His eyes had grown wide as an...unbelievable thought hit him. It couldn't be, could it? He refused to believe it. He had barely spoken to this woman at all and yet there she was in his mind. If he were to start having dreams of her, then-

No, he refused to even think that, let alone let that happen. He would kill her first. He should kill her right here and right now but his body refused to move.

This had never happened before. Why was this happening now? Why at all? And with someone like her, of all people? He had watched her, knew her tactics. She was a troublemaker; she liked to play with the things that interested her until she threw them all away when she was done.

He now found himself wondering who she had been talking to on the balcony. He had watched her on her phone since the moment she pulled it out. The look on her face revealed that she greatly cared for whoever was on the other side? Was it her employer? Was she even employed by anyone or was she going around doing stuff like this on her own? Had it been a family member she was speaking to? Or even Lorelei?

This woman knowing Kudan surprised Illumi more than anything. He knew Lorelei. She was a loner, that she didn't like others to be around her, but if what this woman said was true, if she really did know Lorelei and she had told her things about him, then that could pose to be a problem.

_~I should end this now before my mind becomes riddled with holes.~_

Illumi went to move forward, ready to end this now so he could get away, but his eyes were drawn to the red dress that was currently on the dance floor again...with someone else. He felt his blood start burning and a frown curled his lips. Kyra was clearly enjoying this dance more than she had with him, laughing and smiling. It didn't help that her partner was, infact, Reynolds.

His feet were frozen to the floor. He had been ordered to kill Reynolds for the mission he had been assigned but now there was a different reason. A desire that he was trying to ignore but couldn't. He found his eyes drawn to the area that Reynolds' hands touched on her, his hands tightening to fists as everything but the two of them just faded into the background. His head was beginning to pound but he didn't understand why. Why? The question just kept repeating itself over and over. He knew the answer but he refused to admit it; to accept it. It was impossible.

Wasn't it?

And that was when they locked eyes. It was for just a moment, but it happened. Kyra shot him a smirk over Reynolds' shoulder as they danced past where he was standing. A smirk that was, undoubtedly, meant to tease him. It was her claiming that she had won.

Illumi couldn't help it. His anger drained away and was replaced with a smirk of his own as he raised his right hand.

_~What an amusing woman~_

Squeezing his hand, Illumi ignored all the screaming and splattering blood as several heads exploded around the room. A frown graced his face though, when Reynolds' head didn't explode like it was supposed to. He caught sight of Kyra again as the other guests all ran from the room, the look of anger and disbelief on her face made him smile. He was so caught up in it that he didn't notice the fist coming at him until it landed on his right cheek, sending him through the air. He dodged the second one, though, and regained his footing. The blow, somehow, was able to knock aside his manipulation technique, revealing his true face to the room.

"It's a Zoldyck!" Someone screamed; Kyra felt Reynolds cower behind her as the rest of the guests ran from the room, leaving the three of them and all the dead bodies.

"A manipulator, hmm? You must have placed Nen in the punch to cancel mine out," Illumi stared at the dealer of the blow to his face. It was a man with short red hair and matching glasses. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a long sleeved white top and a black and yellow jacket, a pair of headphones hung around his neck as his silver eyes stared at him; his glass eyes.

There was a movement to his left and he found another man standing there. Short blond hair that was slicked back and dressed in a black suit that made him think of a high class bartender, he also stared at him with silver eyes.

"Dolls?"

"Ball-joint dolls, to be exact," Kyra answered. "Instead of taking control of others like yourself, I prefer to do things my way." She glared at the man. "You just couldn't wait, could you, asshole? You just had to get in my way; again! Does annoying me give you a hard-on or something!?"

"P-please save me!" Reynolds began to beg behind her. "D-Don't let him kill me! I'll pay you whatever-"

"Shut up!" Kyra gave Reynolds a kick in the face and the man crumbled to the ground. She glared at the assassin before her again. "All I asked was for you to wait until I got what I wanted out of him but you couldn't even do that. Now I have to wait until he's conscious again before I get my hands on those Scarlet Eyes!"

"The Scarlet Eyes?" Illumi cocked his head to the side. "Why do you want those?"

Kyra gave him a wink now, the anger completely void from her face and gaze. "That's personal, I'm afraid. Maybe I'll tell you next time." She then grinned. "If you're expecting a fight then I suggest a change in plans there, needle-boy."

"Oh?" Every word she spoke just made his smile grow. "And why is that?"

"You don't expect to fight without these, do you?"

Out of nowhere, Kyra pulled a square case out to show Illumi and his eyes widened. That case held the needles that he had brought with him. He had to hide them to get past security.

"When did you-"

Illumi's eyes widened. It had been when she touched him. She dragged his attention from her taking his needles when she had...

"You can thank Lorelei for that, by the way," Kyra grinned, tossing the case up and catching it again. "You should really change where you hide your weapons, needle-boy. The same spot for ten years? I'm surprised no one stole them sooner."

"Give them back." Illumi held his hand out for them. He could fight just as well without them, yes, but he found himself not wanting to fight her. He...he didn't want to hurt her.

"So you can use them on me? No thanks." She stuffed them in the top of her dress with a grin. "Now, you stay there like a good boy and don't move until I'm gone, deal?"

"And if I say no?"

"Then I say...ura-sai."

Illumi frowned. "Ura-sai? Why-" His words were cut short as he had to dodge a flurry of attacks from the blonde doll. He saw from the corner of his eyes as the red-haired doll grabbed Reynolds' body and smashed a window open, jumping out without a second thought.

"Let's go, Shigeo!"

The blond doll instantly pulled back from Illumi and moved to Kyra, picking the woman up in his arms and heading for the window himself.

Kyra blew Illumi a kiss. "Maybe next time, needle-boy."

Illumi hurried to the window and searched for any sign but both the dolls and Kyra were out of sight. He blinked, his mind not registering what had just happened and then it hit him full force. He had been bested. For the first time ever, he had failed to fully complete a mission; all because he left himself get sidetracked. How was he going to explain this to his father...or even his grandfather?

Remembering Kyra's words, Illumi sighed and leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling.

_~Dammit, Lorelei.~_

_~If you love me, let me die~_

"Keep a close eye on him, Lael. Shigeo, keep watch incase the Zoldyck chased after us."

With a nod, the blond doll left the room and Lael, the red-haired one, set Reynolds' unconcious form on the floor and stood over him silently. They had returned to the hotel room that she was using for the night. 

Giving a sigh, Kyra entered the bathroom to shower and change. The hot water washed away the nights events; most of them, anyway. There were a pair of hands that she couldn't erase from her mind and it was annoying her. She couldn't get his face out of her head, either. Or rather, his eyes. They were like lifeless voids, yes, but for some reason she liked them. She liked him. She couldn't lie. When Illumi told her that he was interested in Lorelei she was relieved. Of course she had no intention to pursue the assassin but that didn't mean she couldn't have fun, right? He did keep showing up around her so why not enjoy herself?  
She blushed, remembering what she had done. She felt like an idiot, like a school girl. She hadn't felt this giddy in years. Was this what was called attraction? In all reality, she had only ever felt attracted to one man and this feeling she got from Illumi was different. Similar in ways, but different in others. She didn't know what to do about them. Was there anything to be done about them in the first place or were they just going to be stuck there to annoy her beyond belief? Then again, having Illumi Zoldyck on her mind wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.

_~Speaking of which, I should call Lorelei and thank her.~_

Wrapping a towel around her body, she stared at the golden, metal case she had snatched off of Illumi. She couldn't lie. When Lorelei told her that was was close with the Zoldyck family she thought she had been bluffing but she knew right where Illumi hid his needles and Illumi knew her, too. It only confirmed the stories that Lorelei had told her over the years. She would have to apologize to her; she had completely doubted her.

Inside were two rows of needles, golden and long, but there was one in particular, the middle one, that caught her eye. This one was different. The ball on the end of this one was a dark green, making it easy to recognize. This was the needle that Illumi had stabbed her with during their last...encounter. She remembered that he had licked the damn ball like it was a lolipop. It had both annoyed her and fascinated her. That had been the first time that she had seen Illumi's true appearance. He would manipulate his appearance for missions but not last time. His tall form and broad shoulders. His muscular arms and long hair. God, his black hair looked like silk. It took all her restraint not to touch it. She loved playing with hair, always had, and she just wanted to run her fingers through it. Would he mind if she tugged on it? Would he even let her get that close?

Kyra closed her eyes, resting the ball of the needle against her lips, her mind wishing she was touching someone else.


	4. Hisoka Morow - Heart Afire - Part Two - A Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his sister left for Swaldani City and Kyra took off for a mission in Yorknew, Hisoka finds just himself and Lorelei at the Heavens Arena. On several occasions he has attempted to get Lorelei to fight him but he keeps being shot down, the woman wanting nothing to do with him. Teasing her has become an every day thing for the blood thirsty Magician so he begins to search the woman for a weakness, any at all, and surprises himself with what he finds.

"Are you as lonely as I am?"

Lorelei Kudan had been happily sitting there on the roof of the cafe, enjoying a book and her coffee, when an unwanted distraction decided to join her, uninvited, with that annoying grin on his face; like usual.

She knew that ignoring Hisoka Morow would do no good, he would just continue to carry on a one-sided conversation and not leave until she did; it had happened several times before already.

She turned a page in her book. "Why would I be lonely?"

"Because everyone's left. Kastro left to go train. Kyra left to go on a mission and Kiyoma left to go to Swaldani city. That means it's just the two of us left here. It's been like this for nearly three days. Do you really not care?"

Lorelei closed her eyes. Kastro had been defeated by Hisoka, embarrassingly she might add, and the man had left Heavens Arena for the time being to train more. Kyra had a mission to take care of in Yorknew City and Kiyoma announced that she was leaving on her own with a friend to go to Swaldani City. She had refused to tell anyone who her friend was and had left her brother here at the arena. That was the main reason Lorelei believed Hisoka pummeled Kastro the way he had. His sister had left him behind without even a moment's notice. She could understand why he was upset. She was surprised that he hadn't run off after her.

"Not really," She answered. She was staring at her book, trying to concentrate, but that was impossible now with that smiling buffoon in her face. "They're adults; they can do what they want. It's not like I wanted them around in the first place."

"So cold, Miss Kudan. Surely you feel some type of connection to Kyra, at least. You have been friends for nearly 4 years, after all."

"She calls us friends, I call us acquaintances."

Hisoka leaned forward on his knee, his chin cradled in his palm. "I just love that iron will of yours, refusing to accept that you care for others. You truly see yourself alone, don't you?"

"No, because I currently have a clown invading my space, so bugger off and let me enjoy my 'iron will' alone." She didn't receive an answer this time and struggled with herself before raising her eyes. Hisoka was still sitting there with that goofy smile on his face, just watching her. She gave a scoff and closed her book. "You must get off on annoying me."

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. I do know that a match would help that along, though."

She gave him a disgusted look. "I'd call you an obsessive freak but apparently you'd like that, too."

"Mmm."

Hisoka enjoyed watching her reactions. Sometimes she wouldn't react but he could see it in her eyes when she was annoyed; or entertained. He had been watching her for months now, never growing bored of her. He knew when she was annoyed or happy. She hid it well but he knew enough about her to know when he went too far.

Then again, it was strange. He didn't know anything about her, really, other than she won't fight someone she deems weak; meaning himself. The match they were supposed to have is the only match that she refused to partake in. It still annoyed him but he refused to force her into it. She was quite entertaining just the way she was now. One day he would get the fight that he longed for out of her but until then, he was content with just playing.

"If all you came here to do was try and talk me into accepting a match with you, then I'm going home," Lorelei gathered her things and stood.

Hisoka smiled at her. "So, if I were to tell you that I came to just spend time with you as friends, you'd stay?"

He watched as she paused for a moment before she gave a glare. "I wouldn't believe that in a thousand years."

The man watched with that smile on his face as she walked away. Teasing her was so much fun. He found himself doing it more and more nowadays; even before Kiyoma and Kyra had left them. She helped him clear and focus his mind for some reason and right now he needed that more than ever.

Never before had he and his sister been apart. Ever since the events with the circus in their childhood they had never been apart and then Kiyoma just ups and leaves him without a second thought. He felt…was betrayed the right word? He didn't know how to explain this feeling. All he knew was that he didn't like this feeling but it seemed to be less noticed when he was around Lorelei. Then again, he never focused on anything else but her while in her presence. It was strange.

Hisoka knew where his sister went and he also knew who she left with. Chrollo Lucilfer. It might not have bothered him so much if the man hadn't been the same one that they had watched participate in the Floor Master Match a week ago. It was the man that Lorelei had admitted to wanting to fight. It told Hisoka that Lorelei would agree to a match with Lucilfer but not him and it completely annoyed him. Not only had this Chrollo captured the eye of the one he wanted to fight the most, but he now had lured his sister after him to Swaldani City. The fact that his sister wouldn't even tell him anything about why she was going or who she was going with annoyed him even more. If he hadn't followed his sister to the station then he wouldn't have known.

This Chrollo was taking everything that was his, wasn't he?

Hisoka was confused with himself. Normally he wouldn't let his sister out of his sights but he had let her go off without much of a word. He found himself wanting to stick close to the Arena; close to Lorelei. It was strange. He found himself bored as of now, no strong opponents to fight here apart from the woman that refused to do so. Maybe he needed to get away for a while and just entertain himself in another way. He did have 90 days before his match limit was up. He could go find some other fools to play with and when he came back he might be able to find someone worth fighting rising in the ranks. Or maybe a little bit of time apart would finally convince Kudan to fight him when he came back.

The thought of that actually happening made him lick his lips. He liked the thought of that and a bit of hope rose in him. By leaving for others fights he could clearly become stronger. She'd have to accept his proposal then. He could very easily just skin through this round, win ten matches, and then demanded to fight her for her Floor Master Title, she'd have no choice then, but he found himself wanting her to admit that she wanted to fight him, not just force her into it. His victory afterwards would be more pleasurable, after all.

Hisoka stood from the table, an idea just hitting him. He would leave Heaven's Arena for now and find strong opponents before he returned to challenge her again. He should first follow his sister to Swaldani. This Chrollo had caught Lorelei's eye and he wanted to see just how strong he was to do so. He had seen his Floor Match, yes, but that wasn't enough. He wanted to fight him himself. For him to take both Lorelei's attention and Kiyoma's…Hisoka wanted to know everything before he beat the man's face into the ground.

But first he had to tell Lorelei that he was leaving. He doubted that she would care but it gave him an excuse to tease her a bit more before he left. Maybe if he hurried he could catch up to her before she reached the Heaven's Arena tower again.

Leaving the coffee shop, Hisoka walked down the street with a smile on his face, different scenarios of what he would do when he got to Swaldani passing through his head. If this Chrollo wasn't worthy then he'd kill him. He had some choice words for his sister as well but that could wait until the two of them were in private.

"OH MY GOD, THEY'RE SO CUTE!"

The squeal knocked Hisoka from his thoughts, freezing him in his steps. Normally he would have ignored it but it came from a voice he recognized. The one he was looking for.

Not far ahead of him, on the other side of the street, was Lorelei. Every time he had seen her she was blank faced or wearing a frown. The look she wore was completely opposite. She wore a huge smile, the look of adoration in her eyes as she stared into a box that a young boy was carrying. This look made him freeze. It was…he didn't think a smile was capable on her face. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn his heart skipped a beat. Her smile seemed to brighten all of her features.

Hisoka was frozen on the other side of the street, eyes intent on the woman as she spoke to the young boy before her. He couldn't hear what she said, seeming as how she was no longer squealing, but his answer as to what had made her react that way was answered when she reached into the box the boy was holding.

Hisoka blinked in shock. He had never seen Lorelei's face twist into a look of glee like this before; never heard a squeal come out of her mouth like this. To think all it took to get through this woman's defenses was a bunny.

He found himself smiling as he watched the woman fawn over the white and brown bunny she now held. Seeing that she had a normal, feminine side after all was like a breath of relief. He had begun to fear that she was just a sour, unhappy person. A cute bunny was his answer to that. Everyone had a weakness; apparently her's were cute things. You never would have guessed with how intense she could be. Watching her act like this was like watching a complete, other person. Why did she hide this from others? Why did she portray herself to be cold, heartless, and void of any other emotion when, clearly, she could be just like the rest of them? What was she hiding?

Lorelei spoke with the boy for a bit longer, cuddling four different bunnies, before biding the child farewell and continuing on towards the Arena again. Hisoka went to follow her, to catch up to her, but a different idea sprouted in his mind. Something spontaneous. Something that he wouldn't even do for his sister.

About an hour later, Hisoka stood on the elevator, going up to the Floor that Lorelei had been given when she won Floor Master. He was beginning to have second thoughts about this, had been since the idea entered his head, but every time he went to turn his back on it, Lorelei's smile appeared in his mind. It was, strange, to say the least. He didn't know how to explain it.

The seconds seemed to drag and he gave a breath of relief when the elevator doors finally opened. He stepped out into the white and yellow hall and turned towards the door to the left. As he moved closer to the door he felt a strange power emanating from the door. It was Nen; Lorelei's Nen.

He had never fought her but he knew the feel of her Nen from the other fights that he had witnessed her in. It was quite hostile when the woman was serious but this time…this time it was subtle. Peaceful, even. Calming. He was alert, thinking she was being attacked at first, but it's calming flow made him think otherwise. What was she doing in there?

Reaching forward, Hisoka knocked on the door; it popped open. He frowned. That wasn't normal. Many times he had knocked; her door had always been locked to keep him out. With a shrug, he pushed the door open, trying to keep a straight face as he walked in; he failed. He was in Lorelei's home. This was a floor that belonged to her. It was just him and her now.

Lorelei's home, to no surprise, was dull. Outside of the white and blue walls, there was only a couch, a television, and a few tables in the room. Then again this was only one room to the whole floor and the woman had only been a Floor Master for a month or so. Perhaps she hadn't gotten to this part of her new home yet. He had a sudden urge to explore the rest of the place but a voice made him stop.

_"I need a gingerbread man, the one I'll feed_   
_The gingerbread man, the one I'll eat._   
_One who's always crazy, never calls me baby,_   
_That's the one I want. All you boys are not him."_

The music and voice led him to another door. It was closed so he didn't open it, but he could hear the sound of a shower on the other side, as well as singing. At first he thought it was a radio but then he noticed the guitar in the stand not far away; the music was coming from it.

She was playing the strings with her Nen while she was in the shower. He never would have guessed she could do that, let alone that she was a music fan. It…didn't seem to fit her personality. Then again, he didn't think squealing over bunnies in the street fit her personality, either.

_"I'm the icing covering his body. I wanna hold him so close, so tightly._   
_Baby, how do I say this politely? Love me harder and don't be nice, please._   
_I wanna feel your crumbs on my body. I wanna break you in pieces, fight me._   
_Baby, don't be so scared of biting. Want to eat each other into nothing."_

Her voice was so smooth; it rang clear like a bell. He believed that her singing was something he could listen to and never get bored of. He wanted to just stand here and listen to it but he knew that if he did that then she would be extremely mad with him. She was going to be mad at him for entering her floor already, that much was true, but maybe just waiting for her and listening to her sing on the shower would make it worse. Placing the box in one hand, Hisoka reached out and with a nail, plucking at a strong on the guitar. His smile turned sinister. All singing and music stopped immediately and the feel of the Nen changed. It was murderous. He had no doubt in his mind that she was ready to kill whoever was in her home but that wasn't what he was here for this time. He let his own Nen slip out, she should know it by now, and he was pleased when it worked. The murderous intent faded away but the Nen still stayed.

Now that Lorelei was aware that he was here, Hisoka turned to take another look around the room and spotted a few pictures on a nearby table. He moved closer to take a better look at them. The first one was a picture of Lorelei, Kyra, and Kiyoma. It was obvious that Kyra was the one taking it. The trio were sitting at a bar of a night club; he knew that was where Kyra introduced his sister to the other woman. He was so used to seeing Lorelei in shirts and jeans that finding her in a black dress and laced sleeves was a change of pace; a good one. Kyra had one arm around Kiyoma's neck, both smiling at the camera held in her other hand as Lorelei stayed facing forward, ignoring the camera as she lifted her glass for another drink; she did wear a smile though. It was so soft, so smooth.

Beside that picture was two others. Her hair was shorter in this one, barely at her shoulders, and she stood beside a tall man, his black hair cut short. It was his eyes that caught Hisoka's attention the most. They looked like black voids. It was apparent that this picture was taken from someone hiding due to the smile on Lorelei's face as she held up a peace sign with a look of accomplishment. The man was also wearing a smile, his arms crossed. What were they talking about, he wondered.

The third picture didn't hold Lorelei's form, but was just of a child with short, silver hair and bright blue eyes as he played with toys in a sandbox. He had a feeling that Lorelei had taken this picture herself. Was this boy her younger brother? And what about the older one? Was he family, too? Or-

He felt his mouth water, the woman's Nen, the anger in it reaching him before the door even opened. Lorelei soon stepped out in a pair of jeans and a white shirt as she let her blonde hair hang wet down her back. With a look of utmost disgust etched into her face, her sea green eyes glared at the man grinning at her.

Hisoka turned from the pictures and faced her, the box still clutched in his hands. "Pardon the intrusion."

Her glare worsened. "Give me three reasons why I shouldn't kill you right now."

Hisoka continued to grin at her. At least she was giving him a chance to explain.

"One, your front door was left open. When I felt your Nen, I feared you had been attacked. What kind of man would I be if I had left without knowing you were safe? Imagine my surprise to hear you singing in the shower. It was a pleasant experience, by the way." Hisoka almost lost his voice there as her look faded and she glanced off to the side. Was that a blush on the woman's face? It was gone in a flash so perhaps he just imagined it, but considering what he had witnessed in the streets... "Second, I was merely dropping by to tell you goodbye. I'll be leaving the Arena for a little while."

A frown graced her lips now, making him stop for a moment. She glared at him again. "And the third reason?"

"This," He held the box in his hands out to her.

She stared at him, the glare gone and replaced by a curious look. "This."

"Take it," Hisoka smiled, still holding the box out. "It's a present for you becoming a Floor Master."

"A present?" She looked skeptical for a moment before taking it cautiously. "What's in it?"

"Open it and find out."

Hisoka watched her with a smile, his eyes almost closed into slits as she opened the top of the box. Her frown returned.

"A rabbit?" Lorelei raised a brow at him. "Just what am I supposed to do with it? Eat it?"

"Well, if that's what you want then who am I to stop you?" He watched as she reached into the box and pulled out the small, white bunny in one hand, it's red eyes jumping all over the room in fear. "Like I said, it's a present for your Floor Master Title. That, and…"

She glanced up at him again when he stopped talking. "And?"

"Since I am also leaving the Arena for a while, I didn't want you to get lonely and thought that you could use a friend until I returned."

She glared at him before placing the rabbit back in the box and holding it back to him. "I don't want it."

Hisoka smiled before turning away. "Keep it any way, at least until I leave. After that you can do whatever you want with it. Eat, throw it away, give it to a child, I don't mind. Just know that I thought of you when I bought it."

Lorelei's reaction to his face may have been normal but Hisoka had already seen how she had reacted on the street, whether she knew it or not. She loved the present, he didn't need her words to know it.

"I'll be leaving in the morning, in case you want to see me off."

He heard a scoff as he began to move towards the door.

"Why did you attack the Examiner?"

Her question made him pause and turn. She had set the box on a nearby table, staring at him with a frown.

"What do you mean?"

"Your sister would have been able to take care of the man at the Exams on her own if she didn't like him touching her. She's just as ruthless and blood thirsty as you are. So why did you feel the need to get involved? Why attack him and get terminated from the Exam?"

Hisoka was silent. Was she really interested in the answer? She had to have been. She never tried to engage him in a conversation before; it was always him that started them. He decided to answer her truthfully.

"I don't like reliving the past, but I suppose for you I can make an exception; just this once." Hisoka closed his eyes. "The last man that laid a finger on Kiyoma...I hadn't been able to stop him. If I had been there with her...she wouldn't have been hurt like she was." He saw that man's face again as he tried to kill his sister. It filled him with anger. "I vowed to never let that happen again."

Lorelei closed her eyes. "It appears that all brothers are the same."

Hisoka raised a brow. "You have a brother, Miss Kudan?"

"Everyone has family, Morow, whether or not they're related by blood." She turned away from him again. "Sometimes you find that it's those that are not blood-related that you can depend on more."

He frowned at her words. She was obviously speaking about herself. He wanted to ask but at the same time he had just admitted to not wanting to dig into the past.

"I will be sure to double check my door the next time I come home so a confrontation like this doesn't happen again. Had you been anyone else, I would have killed you. And if you do plan on leaving then be sure not to make any foolish mistakes and get yourself killed; I don't want Kiyoma to cry."

Still grinning, Hisoka gave a tip of his head before leaving her home. That was the closest to a genuine 'stay safe' he would get from Lorelei's lips, he was sure. It actually went better than he had thought it would. He was truly expecting security to be called on him again. The question was would he leave quietly or would he have killed them all?

_~Guess I'll never know now.~_

Now all he had to do was return to his own room and get a ticket to Swaldani city. He had to get there was fast as possible. Kiyoma was already there for a few days, at least. He had to get there before she ended up going somewhere else. He cursed himself for letting her go in the first place. She was an adult now, yes, but he was still protective; very protective.

It was when the elevator doors began to close that he heard it, making his smile grow wider, assuring him that he had made the right choice concerning the woman that constantly refused his offer to battle.

"YOU'RE SO CUTE!"


	5. Chrollo Lucilfer - Partners in Crime - Part Two - The Phantom Troupe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having left Heaven's Arena to join Chrollo in Swaldani City, Kiyoma finds herself having the time of her life without fighting; It was strange. Things start to change though, when Chrollo decides to introduce herself to those he calls his friends and she finds herself in a very dangerous position.

"Enjoying Yourself?"

Chrollo's voice made Kiyoma turn her head from the window, a huge grin spread across her face. "I believe I've answered that question many times. Yes; yes I am."

The duo had been in Swaldani city for almost a week now. Chrollo had told her that he was meeting with some friends here for an important reason but so far there had been no arrival of them. Instead, the man had set to escorting her all around the city. They had enjoyed a number of restaurants and museums, as well as plays and the theme park here in the city. It clearly felt more like a vacation than meeting here for business.

"And how does it feel being without your brother?"

Her smile fell for a moment and she took her time in answering. "I…I can't lie. It's…weird. We've been together since I can remember. It's strange not hearing his voice but…it's also a good thing, I think. I can't stay glued to his side forever, you know?"

"How considerate." Chrollo replied with a smile. "You're a good sister."

_~You say that, but sometimes I'm not sure at all.~_

Kiyoma tried not to sigh and turned back to the window. She was worried about Hisoka. He wasn't in a rage, was he? The last time they had been separated…it didn't turn out good at all. Then again, if any catastrophe had happened at Heavens Arena it would be on the news. That and Lorelei most likely would have stepped in and stopped her brother.

The thought of Lorelei made Kiyoma's mouth water. That woman's strength…she hadn't seen it all yet but what she had witnessed was enough to make her tingle in excitement. She and Hisoka had come across strong opponents before but none of them had made her feel like this. It also posed a problem between the siblings. Hisoka wanted Lorelei just as much as she did. Normally Kiyoma would just let her brother have his way but this time…this time she didn't think she could do that. No, she wanted Lorelei all to herself.

There was a knock on the hotel door and Kiyoma turned from the window with a frown. She and Chrollo had two separate rooms across from each other but the man had invited her to his room for breakfast that morning. She didn't want this week to end. She liked Chrollo. He was a sweet, pleasant man but at the same time she knew that he was dangerous; and not just due to his strength. He was…hiding something, she just didn't know what; yet.

At the knock, Chrollo looked up from the book he held in his hands with a smile at the woman in the room with him. "They're here."

She cocked a brow. Apparently Chrollo's friends had arrived. What kind of people were they? He had told her not to worry, that he trusted these people with his life, but she was still weary. She had to be. She was taking a risk in trusting Chrollo, she knew that. The only one she ever truly trusted was her brother. Was it a mistake to try and change that?

When Chrollo opened the door, the duo that walked in was not what she had been expecting.

The first she saw was a young woman with pink hair tied back and blue eyes. Dressed in black and purple, the blank look on her face reminded Kiyoma of Lorelei a bit.

Second was a young man with short blond hair, bright green eyes and wore a white and green outfit, a huge grin on his face.

"Just the two of you?" Chrollo hung his head.

"Viall and Omokage are waiting at the Third District," The woman announced. "Uvogin and Nobunaga are there as well."

 _Viall._ That name sounded familiar to Kiyoma but she kept quiet as she retook her seat at the table across from Chrollo.

Chrollo lifted his head in surprise. "They are?"

"You're not really surprised, are you?" The blond laughed. "Any mention of Viall getting a mission and Uvogin always shows up. It's like his sixth sense or something."

"His obsession with her is unhealthy," The woman commented. "He's going to make the wrong move and she'll end up killing him without a second thought."

"Viall's not that bad, Machi, give her a break." The man smiled brightly again as he turned to the woman that sat at the table silently. "Hi! You're the Boss's new friend, right? I'm Shalnark!"

"I'm Kiyoma," She smiled back at him. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too!"

It was clear that Shalnark was the nice one, happily taking one of the extra chairs and dragging it over to join the duo at the table. Kiyoma smiled as Chrollo began to pass the blond food and Machi just watched. It was cute.

"Shalnark, Kiyoma just received her Hunter's License." Chrollo announced and the young man's face lit up.

"You're a Hunter, too? What kind?"

Kiyoma felt her cheeks redden a bit. "I…haven't decided yet. I was thinking, maybe, a terrorist Hunter." All three of them looked at her. "What?"

"Why would you want to be one of those?"

"Well, to be a terrorist, you have to be strong, right? My brother and I…like fighting; a lot. If not a Terrorist, then maybe a Blacklist Hunter. Besides, I won't choose until Hisoka gets his own license. We'll decide together then."

"It seems that you count on your brother too much."

Machi's words made her turn her head. _~I know that…~_

"Not at all," Chrollo smiled, bringing her eyes back to him. "I think it's sweet. We all have our own reasons for our choices, Machi." The woman gave a scoff before closing her eyes. Chrollo turned back to Kiyoma. "I apologize."

"Oh, it's no problem. I understand that my brother and I are…strange."

"Yes, but I like strange."

Kiyoma almost choked on her tea as Shalnark laughed beside her. She used the napkin to wipe her mouth before deciding to change the subject. "So…what exactly are you here to do?"

Chrollo leaned forward on the table, his chin cradled in his hand, a smile on his face. "Would you really like to know?"

She mimicked his pose. "I didn't come all the way out here with you for no reason, you know."

Chrollo's grin grew as Shalnark snickered from his seat. "You're a smart woman, Miss Morow. Why don't you take a guess?"

Kiyoma closed her eyes, trying to calm her heart rate. "From their words, you came here for a mission so you're obviously in an organization of some sort and you have at least four other members waiting on you in the third district. You have taken me all over the city this last week and the Third District is covered in shops and other places. Only one thing really…piqued your interest. The Dorhienz Museum. There your attention was caught by several artifacts of different natures, bringing a sparkle to your eye that seemed…demonic. Need I continue?"

It actually reminded Kiyoma of the sparkle that Hisoka got when he found someone he was interested in fighting.

Chrollo's smile seemed to only get wider, the look in his eyes clearly announcing that he was pleased with her answer. "Please do."

"Taking into consideration that you are a Floor Master at the Heaven's Arena, you're not just a pushover, adding that to this one here calling you 'Boss' and the duo answering to you about the others, you are the leader of the group and quite the cunning one, I suspect. The aura around you gives off a feeling of trust to trick those around you who are not strong or smart enough to see through it. You and your friends are here to steal something; the questions are just what is it and why do you want it?"

Shalnark gave a pleased laugh as Chrollo leaned back in his chair again, the smile still on his face. "You've got a smart one here, Boss!"

"Indeed," Chrollo stared at her in silence for a few more moments before opening his mouth again. "You see, Miss Morow, I'm afraid that I didn't just approach you in the bar on a whim. I've actually had my eye on you for a while now."

"On me?" She knew that something had been up. She had seen through most of Chrollo's kind words, she could thank Hisoka and Lorelei for that, but she liked him and had chosen to follow him anyway. She was about to find out if her choices would cost her anything. "And why is that? I haven't been at the Arena for long."

"Oh, I knew about you before you were at the Arena. It was a year ago that we…should I say crossed paths? You and your brother decided to get in our way, you see. You ended up killing one of my Troupe members."

"Thanks for that, by the way," Shalnark smiled. "With him gone, I was able to take his spot!"

"That's why Machi doesn't take kindly to you just yet," Chrollo told her. "The man you killed was her partner."

"You're going to have to be a bit more specific," Kiyoma reached for her tea again. "My brother and I have killed a lot over the years."

"Yes, as I so learned after researching you. You intrigue me. You were the one that killed the Troupe Member. You're a Conjurer, are you not?"

Kiyoma kept her calm but she was ready to launch into a battle if they tried anything. She found herself not wanting to fight Chrollo; Shalnark, either. He seemed to sweet.

"And if I am?"

"It was impressive, what you did. Was it just through Conjuring that you killed him, or was there something else involved?"

"Why so interested?"

"How could I not be. Power like that…it would come to be very useful in the future." She watched as Chrollo's left hand brush that book he was always holding before looking back up at his face.

"So what, you approached me to try and convince me to join your little gang?"

The man merely continued to smile. "I'll leave that to your imagination."

Kiyoma gave a sigh. "And here I was actually enjoying myself. That's what I get for getting my hopes up." She stood up from the table, fighting her disappointment.

"Aww, you're not leaving already, are you?" Shalnark asked her.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid that I don't have time to waste running around and stealing things. If you want someone like that, then I suggest talking to Kyra Irena. Thievery is more of her bag."

"Tell me, Miss Morow…have you ever heard of the Phantom Troupe?"

Kiyoma from at Chrollo's words again. Who hadn't heard of the Phantom Troupe, especially after the massacre of the Kutra Clan a few years ago? The Phantom Troupe was a world-renowned gang of thieves holding the title of an A-Class Bounty. They were said to have a twelve-legged Spider tattooed on their bodies, giving them the nickname the Spiders.

She turned and stared at Chrollo again. "Are you serious?"

Chrollo and Shalnark both continued to smile at her. "Very."

"Viall isn't going to like this," Machi sighed from her spot.

Kiyoma felt like she had just been struck in the head. She knew she heard the name Viall before. The Kutra Clan had been slaughtered by the Phantom Troupe for their Scarlet Eyes. Viall was the only member publicly known due to the fact she happily faced off against a group of Blacklist Hunters not long after and admitted to the slaughter being by her hands. She killed two Hunters before disappearing.  
The thought of Viall being near, the chance to actually see that woman in action, it made her mouth water more than Lorelei did. She could feel her restraint slowly fading away. Her Nen wanted to be released but she couldn't; not here. This could all be a lie. She should just ignore it all but what if Chrollo wasn't lying? Could she really let this chance get away?

Thank god Hisoka wasn't here.

"How do I know that you're not just pulling my leg?" Kiyoma asked him. "I know you're strong, but how does Viall, one of the most feared people on the planet, answer to you?"

"Come with us and find out," Chrollo answered her. "You'll see for yourself whether I'm being truthful or not."

Chrollo stood up and moved through the door to his own room, leaving Shalnark and Machi with Kiyoma in silence. She wore a frown on her face, thinking over everything. If Chrollo was telling the truth and he was the Leader of the Phantom Troupe, then just why did he want her? True, he said it was because she killed one of his people, but wouldn't that make him want to kill her back? And Lorelei knew Chrollo; did she know who he was or was he just another Floor Master at the Arena to her?

Excitement riddled through her now, but the suspicions were still clear in her mind as well. She had to keep her wits about her. The best thing to do here would be to just leave now while she still could but her greed to know the truth made her body refuse to leave.

_~I'd better not regret this.~_

"Let's go."

Chrollo's voice made Kiyoma turn to him; she had to do a doubletake.

The man was no longer in the suit that he had been wearing before. His black hair had been slicked back, that tattoo on his forehead clearly seen now. A dark purple, fur-collared trench coat now sat on his shoulders, black pants and a shirt that rose up on his neck, white strips designed on it to match the boots he wore. It was a different look than the suit he was in before; she liked it better, too.

"Are you ready?"

He stared at her. She was still. The air around him was definitely different. Previously he was just a sweetheart to her but now she knew that that had been a farce. His true nature was coming out, undoubtedly. She couldn't lie. She wanted to know more about this man; a lot more.

"If you're playing me, Chrollo, I can't promise I won't retaliate in a physical way."

"I understand." He smiled and opened the door for her. "Shall we?"

"I can't wait to see you in action," Shalnark grinned happily, dancing out of the room. "Kortopi's not really a fighter and Bonolenov hasn't been on a bunch of missions with me so I've never really seen a Conjurer in action! I'm so excited."

Kiyoma stared at him in disbelief for a moment before glancing at the man that walked beside her. "Are you sure he's a Spider?"

"He may be easy going, but Shalnark here is quite intelligent; probably the smartest of the entire Troupe."

Kiyoma glanced at the other woman. "And what is it that you do?"

Machi avoided look at her. "That's none of your concern."

"Aww, don't be like that, Machi!"

As Shalnark tried to reason with Machi, leaving Kiyoma to turn back to Chrollo. "So, if you really are the Phantom Troupe like you claim to be, why are only a few of your members here? Aren't there 13 of you?"

Chrollo didn't even glance at her as he led the way down the crowded street. "I didn't want you to get nervous by having them all watching you."

"Assuming that I help you," She replied. "Besides, it's not even noon yet. Stealing something in the middle of the day is a dumb idea, you know."

Chrollo turned to look at her finally, that smile he had given her all week back on his face. "That's what I have you for, Kiyoma."

The way he said her name made her breath catch and she deliberately looked away from him.

The rest of the trip down the street was carried on in silence, Kiyoma focusing on the inverted cross of St. Peter on Chrollo's jacket.

"About time. I was going to go and find you guys." A voice made Chrollo pause in his steps. Another man had joined them. Dressed like a samurai with his hair pulled back, he wore a frown. "I had feared you'd gotten lost."

"Have more faith, Nobunaga," Shalnark grinned.

"Where are the others?" Chrollo asked him.

"Over in that abandoned house," Nobunaga jerked his head further down the street. A small house that looked like it hadn't been lived in for a few years could just barely be seen in the distance. "I got tired of listening to Uvogin fawn over Viall and stepped out to get some fresh air."

"That'll never change and we all know it," Machi sighed.

"So, you're the new guy, right?" Nobunaga looked Kiyoma over. "You're small but it looks like you got more muscle than Machi and Pakunoda together. Hopefully the Boss' interest won't be misplaced."

Kiyoma glared at the taller man. "Keep your damn opinions to yourself. Besides, I've neither said yes or no to joining your little gang. I'm not even sure you're really the Spiders so until I get that confirmation, bugger off."

Nobunaga stared at her before laughing. "You women just can't give simple answers, can you? At least you show more emotion than Viall. That woman's default emotion is angry."

"That's a laugh, coming from you," Machi told him as they began to move again.

"Nervous?" Chrollo's voice was in Kiyoma's ears. He had fallen behind to talk to her as the others entered the small house.

"No, more interested than anything," Kiyoma replied. "Are you guys really the Phantom Troupe? Not just some guys trying to use their name?"

Chrollo smiled at her as he opened the door. "You can only find that answer by watching us in action for yourself."

"Hmm."

Kiyoma took a breath and stepped into the house; and immediately shivered as two sets of new eyes landed on her.

The first one that caught her attention was a thin man in black and gold with long white hair that sat on the stairs. Not far from him was a large man that towered over the rest of them with unruly hair and dressed in bearskin shorts and boots with a white tank top.

"There you guys are!" The large man boasted happily. "About time you slowpokes got here!"

"Just couldn't stay away, could you, Uvogin?" Shalnark teased. "Your princess will be just fine without you, you know. She can take care of herself."

"Oh, I know that. I just don't want to give up the chance of watching her fight! She-"

"You've been followed, Lucilfer."

A stern, cold voice spoke from the shadows in the corner of the room that Uvogin stood by and Kiyoma turned in time to see a small, red orb floating in the dark. She realized quickly that it was an eye and it was trained on her.

Chrollo paused for a moment before a small smile spread across his face. "So we have." He glanced at Nobunaga. "Won't you let our guest in?"

"We're not just going to kill them?" Machi asked.

Chrollo continued to grin. "I have an idea who it is."

Nobunaga moved towards the door again and Kiyoma felt her back go straight as the others in the room reached for their Nen, ready to fight if they needed to. There was a lot of power in this small room.

Kiyoma's mouth dropped open when Nobunaga ordered another person into the house, a large, playful grin on their face.

"Hisoka?!"

Hisoka Morow looked at Kiyoma with that grin of his. "You didn't think I'd actually let you run off without me, did you?"

"I take it you know him," Machi frowned.

"Yeah, he's my brother." Kiyoma glanced back at him. "What are you doing here?"

"It was dreadfully boring without you there," Hisoka told her. "With Kyra gone and Lorelei ignoring me, I decided to follow you," He glanced around the room. "You're clearly having more fun than I am."

Kiyoma recognized that look on her brother's face. He could feel the strength in the room as well. She was praying that he could contain himself. If these guys really were the Phantom Troupe then Hisoka might be in trouble if they all attacked at once.

"How long have you been following us?" Shalnark asked him. "We didn't sense you at all."

"It was a stroke of luck, really," Hisoka answered with a shrug. "You literally walked right past me on your way here. I was enjoying quite the nice cup of coffee when you did so. It's a shame that I had to leave it behind but it could have taken me hours to find you again." Hisoka looked at Chrollo with his deadly smile. "Tell me, just what is it you need my sister for?"

Movement to the left of them made everyone turn. Whoever had been sitting behind Uvogin had decided to move further into the light.

It was a tall and thin form but everything about its body was hidden beneath a long jacket that was kept zipped up. A white, porcelain mask sat on the face, only one eye open to reveal the red orb that Kiyoma had seen as green hair was worn in a braid that hung over their left shoulder.

"It's bad enough you willingly brought a nonmember here, Lucilfer, let alone their sibling."

"It's not the Boss' fault, Viall," Shalnark speaking the name made ice shoot down Kiyoma's spine. This woman in the mask was Viall?

"Then one of you should have noticed you were being followed," Viall cut Shalnark off before he could finish, her eye turning to Hisoka. "There's no reason for you to be here so leave."

"I believe my reason is right there," He lifted a finger and pointed at his sister. "You didn't think I'd just let her run off with strangers, did you?"

"She's an adult, isn't she?" Machi asked. "Let her do what she wants."

"I'm afraid I can't just do that. I'm rather protective of things that are mine." Hisoka replied with a shrug. His eyes gleamed brightly as he looked at his sister. "I am rather hurt, though. Why didn't you tell me that you were running off with the Legendary Spiders?"

Could Shalnark's grin get any bigger? "Hey, both of them are really smart! Can we get both of them to join us?"

Machi looked at him in disbelief. "You can't be serious."

"Why not? Both of them are really smart and strong, too. And then they both know how to work together; it's like a set package!"

"Even so," Viall's voice rang through the room. "There are only thirteen positions in the Troupe. If the woman accepts the offer, then her brother would have to kill another member to join. Are you willing to fight him?"

"Yeah, I'll have to pull back from that one," Shalnark scratched the back of his head. "Why don't you give it a go, Nobunaga?"

"And waste my time? No thanks."

"If I need to prove myself then I have no problem fighting you, if that's what you're after," Hisoka leaned towards Viall with that deadly smile on his face. "If you're truly the Viall everyone's obsessed with then it should be quite interesting."

Kiyoma felt herself gulp. She knew her brother was strong, yes, but against this woman…she would have to watch Viall in action before anything was decided.

"Why not fight him and see if he's strong enough?" Shalnark offered.

Viall went to reply but Uvogin beat her to it with a displeased look and tone. "This trash isn't worthy enough to lick the heel of Viall's boot, let alone fight her."

"Feeling protective, Uvogin?" Machi raised her brows.

"What are you talking about?" Nobunaga scratched his chin. "He's always protective of her. Hell, I can't even get within 30 feet of her without him hissing at me."

"Then what about you?" Hisoka turned to look at Chrollo. "Surely the leader of this happy little band wouldn't mind a fight."

"No," Kiyoma moved before anyone else could, tossing an arm out in front of the other man, as if defending Chrollo from her brother. "I won't let you hurt him."

Hisoka looked genuinely surprised before his grin returned. "I see."

"We're wasting time here," Viall spoke again. "Let's hurry up and get done here, or did you forget why you called us here in the first place?"

"I haven't forgotten," Chrollo smiled at her. "But just leaving this…unattended to could be quite the problem."

Hisoka could cause problems right now if left alone. Perhaps he should let Viall kill him. At that thought, a guilty feeling hit him and he slid his eyes over to look at Kiyoma. She was still having a staring match with her brother as she stood between the two of them. He began to wonder what she would do, if-

"I'll do it." The quiet voice rang through the room and all eyes turned to the silent man that sat on the stairs. He stood up and descended to the others. "I'll take care of him while the rest of you go and take care of the mission."

"Ha! Good on you, Omokage!" Uvogin grinned happily. "Don't worry, I'll take care of your partner in your absence."

"I can take care of myself," Viall scoffed, displeasure in her voice.

"You sure you'll be alright?" Machi asked the tall man.

Omokage smiled at her. "I'm hurt."

"That's his words of saying he'll be fine," Shalnark moved towards the door. "Let's leave the man to his work and go get that treasure."

"If you're going to fight, take it away from the Third District. Draw their attention away from the museum." Chrollo told them. "It'll help us work in peace."

Omokage nodded. "Understood."

"Shall we then?" Nobunaga stretched his arms out and followed the others out of the house, leaving Uvogin, Kiyoma, and Viall last. The masked woman paused in the doorway though, giving another look back at her partner.

"I want his head when I return, Omo."

Omokage looked at her in shock for a moment before a grin spread across his lips. "A head you shall have, I assure you."

Viall disappeared outside, leaving Kiyoma to stare at her brother in worry. She didn't know anything about these guys. Normally a battle with an unknown opponent didn't faze her at all but for some reason she didn't like this at all.

"Don't worry," Hisoka smiled at his sister. "I'll be standing right here when you come back."

Kiyoma nodded, her nerves still in shambles before she turned and followed the Troupe members out of the house, praying she didn't return to a broken and bloody body of her brother.


	6. Illumi Zoldyck - Tag - Part Two - Flirting With A Stalker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the...embarrassing display at the dinner two weeks before, Illumi has found himself at a loss. Unable to find Kyra again on his own, he turns to an old friend for help. Going to Heaven's Arena to talk to Lorelei Kudan turned out to be the best choice for he gets his next meeting with Kyra through lunch. though he knows he shouldn't get involved, he finds himself wanting to know more and more about the woman and taps into some sad memories.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky, but Illumi felt like there was a storm raging in his mind. It had been two weeks since he had last encountered Kyra and try as he might, he just couldn't get her out of his mind.

After she escaped with Reynolds from the party, Illumi had held off on telling his father he had lost one of the targets. It was a good thing that he had, too. Reynolds was left bound and gagged in his hotel room when he had returned the next night. Kyra had obviously gotten what she wanted from the man and had given him over to Illumi so he could finish his work.

She hadn't returned his needles though. It's not like he didn't have more, but that particular collection was his favorite. Well, more of a certain needle that sat in the case; that green one.

Illumi knew nothing about this woman aside from her being a manipulator, having an affinity for dolls, and that she knew Lorelei Kudan.

That last bit of information was the closest thing to a lead that the eldest Zoldyck had.

Lorelei was the only person Illumi confessed to be his friend; she was more family than anything, really. Illumi met her when he was four; nearly 20 years ago. She had been 6 when his grandfather Zeno had come home from a mission with her following behind him. She had been trained like one of the Zoldycks and did assassinations and other missions with them before decided to leave and walk her own path 5 years ago.

Illumi couldn't lie. He was fond of the older woman and missed having her around. He'd never admit that aloud, though. After all, a killer didn't need friends.

Lorelei was the reason that Illumi had come to Heaven's Arena. Though it had been almost five years since seeing each other face to face, there was an occasional phone call or a series of text messages between the two of them at least once a week. Lorelei admitted that he was the only person she completely trusted in the world. Normally words like that would fall on deaf ears but since they were hers, he accepted them wholeheartedly.

Kyra had told Illumi that Lorelei was a friend of hers and that she had told the other woman where he liked to keep his needles when he was on missions like that. Normally, Illumi would have been angry at this but he found himself amused instead. If Lorelei willingly gave that woman information then it was for a good reason. It reminded him of when the two of them were younger. Lorelei never had her guard up around him and he never around her. If he felt…normal…then it was around her. If she trusted Kyra, then so could…

The phone in his pocket went off, the guitar melody playing told him who it was.

_Third and Nomad._

Illumi grinned at Lorelei's message. He knew he had made the right choice to come here and see her. The duo had met the day before for lunch and he had brought up the subject of Kyra. Lorelei said she would help him as long as he didn't kill the other woman. She admitted to being fond of the younger woman, piquing Illumi's interest in her even more.

Lorelei didn't have to worry for Kyra's safety. That wasn't his intention at all; at least, not today.

He didn't have to go far to reach the corner Lorelei had sent to him and he spotted Kyra almost instantly. She sat outside of a coffee shop, a book in hand as she sat in the sun, as if waiting on him. Her green hair seemed to shine in the light and he found himself taking in her outfit of choice today.

It was a pair of tight, black capris with a pair of sandals that's straps looked like spider webs climbed up to her knees in black leather. She wore an emerald green tank top beneath a light, white jacket. He had liked her in the red dress she had worn before but he liked seeing her dressed like this too.

He strode up to her, resisting, and failing, to smile.

"Fancy a companion?"

At his voice, Kyra glance up from her book. A small frown was on her face for just a moment before that grin of her's appeared. "Not really but I'll make an exception for today." She motioned for him to sit down and placed her book on the table. "You came all this way just to see me? I must have left quite the impression."

Illumi couldn't hide his smile. "You think quite highly of yourself; or did you forget that you took something of mine in our last encounter?"

"You mean these?" She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the golden case she had taken two weeks ago. "I'm guessing you'd like them back."

"If you wouldn't mind."

"I'll give them back; but I want to enjoy lunch first. You'll join me, won't you? It's such a nice day out here," She made the case disappear in her pocket again before reaching out for her tea once more.

Illumi was silent for a moment before giving a sigh. He hadn't planned on staying long. It seems that she had different plans. "Why not? Would you like for Lorelei to join us?"

Kyra stared at him like he was foolish. "Who do you think was sitting there before you joined me?"

Illumi gave a small chuckle. Of course. They must have been talking about him before Lorelei gave him the address to find her. She must have left after sending him the information, making him just miss her.

"You and Lorelei are quite similar," Kyra told him. "I'm almost jealous."

"Jealous? What makes you say that?"

"You're like siblings, right? I never had a brother or sister growing up. Should I not be envious?"

"Having siblings isn't as fun as you think," Illumi replied. "Especially when…" He stopped his words quickly.

"Touchy subject, got it," Kyra took another sip and waited to speak again after the waiter took Illumi's order. "Let's change it. Why needles?"

"Why dolls?"

She giggled. "Not fair; I asked first." She leaned back in her chair and folded her hands on top of her stomach. "You tell me and I'll tell you, deal?"

Illumi gave a soft nod. "The true question isn't why; it's why not? Manipulation is one of the best techniques that could be used in the line of assassination. I chose to use something that wouldn't be easily noticed if the time came for it. The result has been, of course, successful."

Kyra frowned at him. "Is that all?"

He raised his brows. "Were you expecting something more?"

"I suppose I was," She gave a shrug. "I guess not every part of you could be interesting, huh?"

He frowned. "Am I not interesting enough for you?"

"You're the eldest son of the most dangerous assassin family in the world and you're having lunch with a thief; the only thing that could make this even more fascinating is if you told me that you and Lorelei were lovers. The sex would either be amazing or dangerous; probably both." She took a second look at the horrified look on Illumi's face before exploding with laughter. "Calm down, needle-boy, I was just kidding. I understand that your relationship with Lori is strictly…sibling-ish."

Illumi felt a bit uncomfortable still, which didn't happen often, and decided to change the subject. "So…why dolls?"

"Because it was the first thing I remembered touching." She closed her eyes, ignoring Illumi's questioning gaze. "I grew up in a place called Meteor City; I'm sure you've heard of it."

Illumi frowned. Meteor city was known as the junkyard city and inhabited by outcasts. There was no official record of anyone that lived there and not very many people knew of the city's existence at all. It was literally just a dumping ground for other countries.

"I didn't have parents or anyone else. I just had Tei. He was my first doll. I found him, left and forgotten, much like I was. His hair...it was long and black like yours. Maybe that's why I like you so much..." Illumi stared at her as she smiled, remembering her past. From how she acted you wouldn't think that she was from Meteor City. She was much too…happy.

"I played with other kids like me but I was the first to develop my Nen. I remember that Uvo was picking on Chrollo and had stolen his book from his hands. Somehow, I had taken control of Tei and used him to beat Uvo up and get the book back. It was after that the elders that looked after us taught us just what I had done and I began to train. I looked through every discarded book for anything I could learn about Nen and Manipulation. Tei went through it all with me."

Illumi stared at her for a moment. He understood her attachment to dolls now. The one known as Tei had been her first 'friend' as a child and therefore she trusted it enough to use it as her weapon in battle and other things. But she had used Dolls named Lael and Shigeo last time they met. How many of them did she have? What all could she make them do?

"So Tei…what happened to him?"

Kyra closed her eyes. "I lost him in a fight to Lorelei. She burned him to ashes."

Illumi was silent for a moment, just staring at her, before leaning his head back and giving an amused laugh. "That sounds like something Lorelei would do; especially when she realized that was the weapon you fought with. I remember her bending my needles on purpose before practice because she didn't like the way the sun glinted off of the metal."

Kyra enjoyed the laughter she was hearing at the moment. Illumi was clearly more laid back now than she had ever seen him. It was nice to see him like so but she was very doubtful of his guard being completely let down. She was sure that he was ready to kill in an instant; being an assassin meant that she needed to be just that.

"I met Lorelei here at the Arena four years ago and had my second match against her. It was how we first met. I hated her for the longest time and then I realized...she was just as alone as I was."

Kyra's pitch had lowered and Illumi, for the first time, saw a sadness in her eyes as she stared at the half-eaten food that sat before the both of them. This was another reason that he didn't like conversing with other people too much. He wasn't good when it came to…giving comfort.

"When you say Chrollo, do you speak of the leader of the Phantom Troupe?"

Kyra's eyes brightened again giving him a moment to give a sigh of relief. "I was sure you'd make that connection. The very same."

He went to say something, a bad taste in his mouth, but then changed his mind. "So, you grew up with the Phantom Troupe…and you're a thief…"

It was her turn to frown now. "If you're trying to insinuate that I am a part of Lucilfer's merry band of vagabonds then stop. I'm not and nor will I ever be. We grew up together, yes, but I like working solo and killing people isn't really my forte'; but that doesn't mean I won't do it, understand?" She closed her eyes for a moment again. "Though I do owe Chrollo for some help every now and then. Sometimes there's missions even I can't do on my own, you know?"

Illumi understood that. "Lorelei told me that you had recently become a Hunter."

"I needed the title to get into Reynolds' party."

"That's all?"

"Yep."

"As I recall, you wanted Reynolds merely to acquire the Scarlet Eyes he possessed."

"And?"

"It was your Spider friends that slaughtered the Kutra Clan to obtain those eyes in the first place. Did they hold any reasoning in your desires?"

"Not in the slightest, though I would understand why you'd think that, considering," She reached for her cup again. "As for my Hunter License…I'm sure it can prove useful in the future. Who knows, I might even become a Treasure Hunter! It might also make me run into you again so I'll keep it close just in case."

"I'd like that." Illumi hadn't realized that the words had exited his mouth until he noticed that the grin on Kyra's face had grown even larger. He cleared his throat and decided to change the subject again. "How much about Lorelei do you know?"

"Everything," She answered with a smile. "I'm probably the only person she ever opened up to, next to you, of course. Don't worry, she's too important to me to do anything to her. I wouldn't dream of betraying her in any way. She'd kill me if I did." She grinned at him. "You probably would too, just to do it yourself, right?"

"It's a bit scary that you know me so well in such a short amount of time."

"Considering that your sister is my best friend, it's not hard to see how," Kyra giggled. "It's a good thing, too. If I didn't have her then I wouldn't have been able to talk to you like this; it's nice. That and I'm sure that you wouldn't have wanted me following you everywhere to get the said information."

"You think you'd be able to do that?" He challenged.

She continued to grin. "I like things that interest me the most so, yes."

He tried not to feel pride at her words and decided to finish his meal. "Those two dolls from before, are they the only two that you have or are there more?"

"Shigeo and Lael," She repeated their names. "I may have more, I may not. I can't tell you my secrets in the event that we have to fight again in the future. Lael was Tei's…replacement. Lorelei bought him for me after we talked about Tei. It was the sweetest thing she's ever given me; the only one, too."

"The two of you really do get along well, don't you? I've never seen Lorelei give anyone anything before; except Killua, that is."

"You mean that little kid with the silver hair?" Kyra instantly leaned forward. "He's so cute! Next to you, that's the only other picture she has up on her floor! The two of you are really important to her, you know. Ooh," The change in her tone made Illumi raise his brows. "Has she told you about Morow yet?"

"Morow?" He repeated the name. "I can't say that she has. Who is it?"

"He, needle-boy, is a blue-haired psycho that has been stalking your dear sister around Heavens Arena for the last year, trying to get her to fight him. She refuses to and it's making him obsessed with her!" She grinned wider as Illumi's frown deepened. "Don't worry, I have no doubt that she can take him but still…I'm surprised that she hasn't killed him yet. She probably doesn't want to give the weirdo what he wants."

"What do you mean?"

"Both Hisoka and his sister strive to battle with strong opponents; it's really weird how they get turned on by it but to each their own. I…" She paused and looked him over for a minute. "Hmm."

"What is it?"

"I wonder who would win; you or Hisoka?"

"You think there's a debate?"

"I've seen Hisoka fight; it's quite scary, actually, and he wasn't even at full power. Look at it this way, I won't even pull out my dolls and try to fight the bastard."

"But you did for me," Illumi's frown deepened even more. "Where is this Morow? I'd like to meet him."

"Then it's a good thing that he's not here right now. I think Lorelei said he took off to Swaldani for a while or something like that? I guess he caught wind of a new toy and went to catch it." With a stretch of her arms, she stood. "Unfortunately, I must bring this little meeting of ours to a close. I have someone waiting for me to come home and I must go."

"Someone waiting?" He raised his brows as she stood himself. He wanted to keep talking to her but he knew that he had to get going himself. If he stayed any longer, then…

"Yes, and before you ask if it a boyfriend, the answer is no. 100 percent single right here but if you want to take the chance you have to buy me a lot of things first; A LOT of them." Leaving money on the table to cover both meals, she waved him aside when he tried to argue. "It's my treat today, seeming as how you came all this way just to see me. We'll have to do this again sometime. Maybe I'll invite Lorelei next time and you can meet her stalker."

Illumi nodded, a bad taste in his mouth at the thought of anyone following Lorelei around like that. Just why hadn't she killed him off already? It was…weird.

"And here you go; as promised." She held out the golden case to him and he took it with a small smile. He had almost forgotten about them, to be honest; it was nice to have them back.

"I…enjoyed myself as well. Next time I'll just have to contact you instead of Lorelei so we can chat longer." He told her.

She was silent for a moment before that fox grin returned. "Why, was that a request for my number, needle-boy."

"I believe that it was."

Holding her hand out, Illumi placed his phone in her hand and watched as she happily placed herself among his contacts.

"Only six other people?" She teased handing him the phone back. "You need to get out more, dear."

"I'll put it at the top of my to-do list."

"Then again," she changed her mind. "I'd rather like being the only woman in your phone next to Lorelei so let's keep it that way." She turned. "I'll catch you later, Illumi."

At the sound of his name came from her lips, the man grinned before looking down at the case in his hands. On a whim, he opened it and took a look at them; he frowned.

"Hey. One of them is missing."

Kyra gave him a wave over her shoulder. "I know. I'm keeping it for safety reasons. I can't have you disappear on me completely, you know?"

Illumi stared after her. She was keeping it because she wanted to see him again? Shaking his head, he decided that he would let her get away with that. After all, he wanted to see her again soon, too.


	7. Hisoka Morow - Heart Afire - Part 3 - An Interesting Opportunity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Left alone at Heaven's Arena, Lorelei finds herself thinking, even longing, for someone, anyone, to interact with her. She finds herself even thinking about enduring Hisoka's company. There's a surprise waiting for her one day though, and it could be the beginning of the change of her life.

Lorelei was bored.

Extremely.

Bored to the point of insanity.

Bored to where she was just about to leave Heaven's Arena and go on a trip. An adventure. Anything that could save her from days at the café, books, and starring at the rabbit that now sat on the table by the window in her home.

Sitting on the couch in one of the inner rooms of her floor, she was staring at the said rabbit as she tuned her guitar. Those red eyes seemed to stare back at her, it's teeth munching at the food before it. A most awkward staring contest had formed between the two of them. To think that her boredom had succumbed to this. She'd even take a certain magician invading her privacy right now than this!

Kyra and Illumi had been in town just a week ago before they both took off on their own little missions again, Illumi being forced to return home and Kyra taking Raelynn on a mission for the first time. Kyra claimed to be back in a week but with her…something else would catch her attention and it would take longer; it always did.

Even Kina was gone, leaving her bar in the hands of her partner for the moment. When she normally got bored, that was where Lorelei would go and there she would perform, it was how Kyra and her had met Kiyoma for the first time, but she just didn't feel like it now that none of them were in town.

Kiyoma still had yet to return to the Arena; it had nearly been two months now. She hadn't heard a word from her since, either. The only one that she received messages from, outside of Illumi and Kyra, had been…

As if on que, a tune jingled from the phone beside her and she finally broke the staring contest to look at it.

At first she had been annoyed. She never gave Hisoka her number and she knew that neither Kyra nor Kiyoma would give it to him, leaving just two options. The bastard had either stolen it from the registry here at the Arena or hijacked his sister's phone.

Considering Hisoka's personality, both were likely, but she found herself leaning towards the first option more. Just taking Kiyoma's phone would be too easy; Hisoka liked to make a challenge out of everything.

The jingle sounded again, signaling another message, and Lorelei sighed, reaching for it. She never replied to Hisoka's texts but she never erased them, either. Sometimes, over the last two months, when she couldn't sleep, she'd find herself pulling them up just to read them. Some of the updates that he would give her were just comical. He liked to let her know how his day was going and assure her that he and Kiyoma were both safe. With every message, the man sent and emoji of his face, the star and teardrop obviously his signature.

_Congratulations on your win last night._

The first message was simple. She had gotten it several times before. Every time she had a match he would send this message the next morning. He kept a close eye on her even when away from the arena.

_I'll be back home soon._

The second message is what caught her attention, though. He was on his way back? The thought of him returning made her smile but she assured herself that it was only because she was getting annoyed in being alone. It's not as if she actually missed the Magician, right?

Despite telling herself that, Lorelei did something she had never done before. She wrote a message back and sent it with a smile.

_Make it fast._

As if coming out of a daze, Lorelei scowled at her screen before tossing the phone aside and kicking her feet up on the table before her. Crossing her arms, she turned her attention back to the rabbit across from her, but it had decided it was done eating for the moment and had turned it's back to her to stare out the window. It was getting close to sunset, making the sky mixes of orange and yellow and red. Instead of staring at the window herself, Lorelei leaned her head back to stare at the ceiling instead. She didn't feel like doing anything right now, not even playing music. She just…wanted to do nothing.

She didn't know how long she sat there in silence, but the sky had turned black when a knock at her door broke the silence again. With a frown at a second set of knocks, Lorelei stood up and moved towards the door, not sure who it could be. The thought of Kiyoma or Kyra being back made her footsteps move faster.

The disappointment was clear on her face at the sight of who greeted her instead, though.

"It's you again."

"Ah, Miss Kudan! I was hoping you'd be here!"

It was a man named Isaac Netero and he was the Chairman of the Hunter's Association. He was an older gentleman and seemed harmless, but from their last encounter, Lorelei knew better. With a ponytail, a thick beard, and stretched earlobes with two piercings each, he was dressed in a traditional man's kimono of white and blue and a pair of geta. He wore that signature grin on his face as he stood outside her door, having to look up at her face.

"Don't you know the meaning of no, old man?"

"Come, Miss Kudan!" Isaac smiled. "You said you'd hear me out."

"I have no interest in becoming a Hunter, Netero."

"Yes, you made that very adamant…during our last encounter. I have, instead, come with another proposition tonight!"

Lorelei stared at him in disbelief for a moment. Three days ago, after a match, this old man had approached her and tried to convince her to participate in the Hunter Exams next year. He had been keeping tabs on her since she won the title of Floor Master due to her not having a Hunter License and wanted to change that. She had refused to get involved in his little club but here he was again. Her eyebrow twitched at that smile that still sat on his face before giving a sigh and moving out of the way, allowing the older man into her home again.

Isaac happily moved towards her couch and took a seat, leaving her to take the chair nearby; she had to move it to face him.

"Firstly, I'd like to thank you for giving me the time to speak to you. I know that you're…not interested in joining the Hunter's Association so instead I've got another idea." He closed his eyes for a moment. "At next years examination, I have two young girls participating. They're my granddaughters, Marianna and Korianna. I would like for you to join them in the exam and watch over them."

Lorelei crossed her arms, feeling her anger rise. This guy was asking her to be a babysitter. "Your granddaughters? Wouldn't they be strong enough to handle the exam on their own?"

"I have no doubt that they'd be able to, it's the other contestants that I'm worried about. Marianna is 18 so she should be fine, but Korianna is only 13 so I'm afraid that people will pick on her."

"A 13-year-old taking the exam? Are you so sure that's a good idea?"

"Though she's young, Kori is strong. That's why I'm worried. I would like someone I can trust to make sure she doesn't…go overboard and get herself, and her sister, disqualified."

At those words, Lorelei's mind immediately went back to Hisoka. What was so special about this Exam that made everyone want to be a Hunter?

"And just what makes you think that I'm someone you can trust? You don't know me."

"No, I don't, but I can offer you something I know that you'll take."

"And that is?"

"Money." Isaac grinned. "I know that after you make it this far, the arena stops giving you money. I know that they give you your home as long as you can keep your Title, but who doesn't want food and a little extra? I also know that you play music in a little bar just outside of the Arena for money every now and then for that very reason. If you do this task for me, then I'll give you a hefty sum."

"You've obviously been watching me for a long time if you know that," She stared at him. She smelled something fishy. "Just how much?" When he told her the amount, she lost all composure. "Are you kidding me!? There's no way you'd pay that much?"

Isaac laughed, pleased to see a different reaction from her this time. "But I'm very serious. My granddaughters are very important to me and I want to help them make their dreams come true. No one during the exam is going to know who they are, as long as they keep quiet, so I need someone to watch over them that knows the truth. There are some very ruthless people in the world and I can't help but worrying, despite knowing their strengths."

"But why me?" She demanded again, trying to calm herself. With that much money…she wouldn't have to worry about anything for the longest while.

"Because I can see potential in you; not very many have the spirit that you have. You are the, forgive me for saying, perfect warrior. Cold and ruthless. You don't flaunt your power and go out of your way to give tips to those you deem worthy. I could think of no one better for the job. You don't have to pass the exam yourself, if that's what you wish, you can drop out at the very end, but who knows…maybe you'll change your mind after participating."

Lorelei stayed in her chair, thinking things over as Isaac continued to stare at her with that damn smile on his face. He was trying to trick her into participating. If he could get her into the Exam then he knew that she would finish it; she hated to lose, after all. She tried to fight a smirk of her own. He thought that he was going to win; two could play at that game.

"I want to meet them before I decide anything," She told the older man. "If they annoy me then I won't do it."

Isaac clapped his hands together in joy. "I assure you, you'll love them! Such well behaved girls, they are." He stood from his seat. "Come to the Hunter Association main building when you're ready; I'll have them waiting for you!" He continued to smile. "Until then, perhaps you'd like to go get something to eat? Perhaps after that we-"

And there was his perverted tactics again. He had tried to pull this last time, too. She stood and moved towards the front door, the old man following her.

"I'll be by your office in a month, Netero. Any more harassment and I'll make it two."

"Ah, you can't blame a man for trying." He chuckled. "Until next month, Miss Kudan."

Lorelei frowned at the name before opening the door and letting the older gentleman out. She froze though. Standing there across the hall stood a man. Periwinkle blue hair, golden eyes, and dressed in those gaudy magician clothes, Hisoka Morow wore a smile as his golden eyes stared at her with an amused expression.

Isaac popped out behind her and took in Hisoka before giving Lorelei a grin. "Now I see. Expecting company, are we? You should have told me you were taken. I wouldn't have tried so hard to woo you if I had known I would be refused because of this strapping, young man."

"Get out of here before I beat you into pulp." The woman growled.

Isaac gave a laugh of glee as he scurried to the elevator. "Of course. Until next time."

As he disappeared, Lorelei rubbed her temples, trying to gather her thoughts. Only a few hours ago she had told this man to hurry back and now she was wishing he hadn't. To complain of boredom and then wanting to do nothing but sleep after meeting with Isaac Netero? She really needed to stop getting annoyed with things so easily. Perhaps a personality change was in order.

The form stood from the wall and lifted a hand in greeting. "Was I fast enough for you?"

Lorelei stared at Hisoka for a moment before giving a small laugh and a grin. Hisoka's eyes widened as his face gave off a look of pure shock.

She ignored it.

"Let's go eat."

The man was still for a moment, merely watching as the woman locked her door without a second thought. This was…strange. She seemed more at ease than normal. Had she been that lonely and just couldn't hide it anymore?

"So, need I ask why there was a man in your home?"

"A business proposition, that's all. He's been hounding me since you left, actually."

That made Hisoka's smile return as he followed the woman onto the elevator. He knew where she was taking him so happily walked along beside her. It felt…nice to be back in her company. After…all that had happened in Swaldani City, he welcomed the feel of her. The smile and laugh just added to it; both had been so pure. Perhaps he HAD spent too much time away.

"Business? What kind?"

She glanced at him. "Babysitting."

Hisoka blinked in shock, not sure he heard her right. "Surely you jest."

"I wish." Exiting the elevator, Lorelei led him into the dark streets of the city, heading for her favorite little diner not far away. It was where she always ate; and always where Hisoka found her before he had taken off for Swaldani City.

"What does he need someone like you babysitting for?"

"It's his granddaughters and…it's a tricky hire." She didn't want to reveal to Hisoka that it involved the Hunter Exam. If he knew he might try to convince her to join and then follow her all over the place like he normally did. Maybe what Hisoka needed was a babysitter himself when he was around…normal people. "Did you patch things up with your sister?"

"What makes you think we had to patch things up to begin with?"

"Considering how butt-hurt you were that she left you behind in the first place, it's hard not to know," She teased him with a light voice; the laughter he heard in it kept catching him off guard. He had barely accepted that the woman was in love with bunnies behind her strong façade but to hear her talking and joking so lightly…was this really Lorelei?

"Aren't you in a playful mood?" He grinned as they were led to their seats.

"You, Kiyoma, Kyra, and Kina ALL left me here by myself. You're my lease favorite of the four but at least your provided some form of entertainment for me," She told him, her voice retracting back into its emotionless tone.

"It's the threads of fate, leading us together once more," Hisoka smiled happily as he took the seat opposite her. "Our friendship must be meant to be."

"Are you high?" She asked him.

He leaned forward on the table, his chin cupped in his hand. "If it was not, then why did you beg for my quick return?"

"As I just said, I was bored," She told him nonchalantly. "And you're the only one brave enough to come near me, outside of other Floor Masters. Being left alone here while everyone else gets to run off and play is most annoying."

"Then next time you should come with me," He offered. "I'm sure the two of us could think up wonderful ways to entertain ourselves. Or we could go up to my room after we're done eating and go ahead and take care of your boredom right now."

"Your return is taking care of that for me in full," She shot him down as she looked at the menu. "That, and getting to laugh at that atrocious hair color of your again is more than enough."

Hisoka felt his brow twitch. Her tongue was as sharp as ever.

The duo sat there eating and talking. Hisoka had never heard Lorelei so talkative before; it made him almost feel a bit guilty. Everyone outside of the other Floor Masters and a few contestants were afraid to even approach her, leaving her to brood in her room for nearly a month now; alone. If he had known that then he would have invited her with him to Swaldani City.

Then again, it's not like he cared. Why should her being bored for a month have anything to do with him? This woman had teased and ridiculed him since they first met, laughing and refusing to give him what he wanted from her; to fight. Perhaps this…strange change in her was what he needed to get what he wanted after all.

Leaning forward on the table again, Hisoka locked eyes with her; he tried not to snicker when she cocked a brow at him.

"Miss Kudan, have you, perhaps, reconsidered our fight?"

The woman swallowed. In all honesty, she had forgotten that all Hisoka really wanted out of her was a fight. That was the only reason that he was stalking her, after all.

Why did the thought of that make her sad?

At the ringing of the phone in her pocket, Lorelei found herself released from the gaze across from her and frowned as she pulled it out. She was more disappointed in herself for placing herself in that situation. As if she could find this…creep…appealing.

Recognizing the number on her phone, Lorelei smiled as she answered.

"I was wondering when you were going to call."

_"Lorelei, where are you right now?"_

Kyra's voice sounded panicked, making her sit up straighter in her chair, all essence of playfulness gone. "Heaven's Arena still, why? What's wrong?"

_"I…I fucked up; bad. I need your help. How fast can you get to Zaban City?"_

Zaban City. A bad place to be, in Lorelei's opinion. It was known for being home to shady dealers and Scam artists, and also to Johness the Dissector, a serial killer who maimed 146 victims with his bare hands.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," She stood up from her seat and began to dig through her wallet to leave the money for the food, unaware of Hisoka's surprised look. "Where do I meet you?"

_"I'll send someone to you at the station; I can't be seen right now."_

"Is it that bad?" Lorelei paused for a moment. "Do I need to bring Kiyoma?"  
 _"If…if you can. Please hurry. They…they have Raelynn."_

Lorelei froze and felt her anger rise. "I'll be there soon." 

Turning the call off, Lorelei tried to call Kiyoma immediately after but no answer. She would have to try again in a little while. This wasn't something that she was just going to leave on her voicemail. She began to walk off but then an idea struck her. Her phone gripped tight in her hand, she turned back to the man she had left at the table, a frown gracing her lips.

"Hisoka, would you like to come along?"

Her answer was a thin, twisted smile.


End file.
